Published on

11/09/2026 - 14:31 GMT+2

The European Commission transmitted the EU-India trade deal, clinched last January, to EU member states for ratification on Friday – but only in English, despite opposition from France.

The EU executive wants to fast-track the ratification process for trade deals by skipping the translation of agreements into the bloc's 24 official languages.

“When President von der Leyen went to India in January to conclude negotiations for this landmark trade agreement, she made a commitment to try to get it over the line within this calendar year,” Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Olof Gill said on Friday. “That is still our ambition.”