European Commission

EU 🤝 India

We’ve just concluded negotiations on our biggest ever free trade agreement, with India.

What does this mean?
🔸 The world’s biggest free trade zone, covering 2 billion people
🔸 Unmatched access for EU companies to India’s fast-growing economy
🔸 Tariff cuts on 96.6% of EU goods, saving EU businesses €4 billion every year
🔸 Stronger ties between the world’s two largest democracies

A win for people, growth, and global partnership.

More: https://link.europa.eu/qyprBJ

Jan 27 at 8:18amWeb
Show threadJoão SantosJan 27

@EUCommission

> Tariff cuts on 96.6% of EU goods, saving **Indian citizens and businesses** €4 billion every year

Please don't use Trumpisms on your communication

Show threadBeady Belle FanchannelJan 27
@jmcs @EUCommission It’s not really relevant, if India had Wine tariffs of 150% and they get reduced to 75%, that effectively means you can sell the wine cheaper, leading to more being sold. you can’t “save” on tariffs anyway, it’s a meaningless phrase in this context
Show threadAngelinaJan 27
@Profpatsch @jmcs @EUCommission Wine, the more expensive, the better it sells. Customs duties have never impacted its sales.
Show threadBeady Belle FanchannelJan 27
@Angelina What kind of backward-logic is that? Of course the $15 wine is gonna sell better at $15 than at $40. And it’s gonna matter if $25 of that are gonna go to the customs authorities or the French company selling it.
Show threadAngelinaJan 27
@Profpatsch Wine is a luxury product. Most buyers are content to look only at the price, saying that the more expensive, the better their image will be with their guests. They know nothing at all about oenology.
Show threadBeady Belle FanchannelJan 27
@Angelina It does not matter to my argument, just replace it with any kind of non-luxury product on the list. Please.
Show threadAngelinaJan 27
@Profpatsch So the wine does not fit into your argument. 🤷‍♀️
Show threadBeady Belle FanchannelJan 27
@Angelina you are extremely annoying, go away
Show threadAngelinaJan 27
@Profpatsch I just live in a very wine-growing region, and we all do like that, because that’s how it works. 🤷‍♀️
Show threadSyloculeJan 27

@jmcs @EUCommission So much this

@hpod16 Please raise this with your COMM colleagues

Show threadHeriJan 27
@EUCommission why does the EU write Billion if it means Milliarde?
Show threadMartin KosteraJan 27
@Heri
Milliarde - it's not english word for 1 000 000 000. It's billion. English uses the short scale.
See elementary school and long and short scale.
#^https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales
Long and short scales - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Show threadIlka 🌐Jan 27
@martin the European commission is Continental Europe based. Thus they should use the correct scale for their countries' context.
@heri
@EUCommission
Show threadMartin KosteraJan 27
@Ilka 🌐 It's not about continent or islands. It's about English. English uses short scale. Period.
If you don't like it, do not use English.
Show threadIlka 🌐Jan 27
@martin it is not a question of language but of geography. If you can't use a map, don't bother. How now does rudeness feel, boy?
Show threadMartin KosteraJan 27
@Ilka 🌐 It's a question of language. Learn basics. Ask your English teacher, little child.
#^https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales#English-speaking
Long and short scales - Wikipedia

Show threadChao-c'Jan 27

@heri because they write in English (it is "miliarda" in Czech, too)

Adopting "Milliarde" into Euro-english vocabluary is an interesting option. It would be perfectly clear for most EU citizens. Also, India (to stay ontopic) has adopted their "crore" and "lakh" into everyday English. But while cryptical, there is zero chance of confusion with other one-word units...

Using both "Millarde" and "Billon" would be confusing, but "Billiard" not so much (unless confused with the table game of billard :-)). It would be fine, if we all agreed to talk about "1000 Milliards" instead of Trilion/Billion.

There precedens for unifying numbering systems is French soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, quatre-vingts-dix and vs. Swiss septante, huitante, nonante. They may sound strange to each other, but the meaning is unique and understandable.

Milliarde may sound weird to British and Americans, but just like with crore and lakh, there is zero chance of incorrect interpretion (unlike Billion). So yes: adding Milliarde into Euro-english is good idea. We can make Fedi poll about it :-)

@EUCommission

Show threadChrisJan 27
@xChaos @heri @EUCommission just use 4 × 10^9 € theb there is ni space for misunderstandings 😆
Show threadChao-c'Jan 27

@BlackWolf yes, of course, but I think we deserve something almost as confusing, as lakh and crore.... if we are about to enter free trade with something as big as India. At least, when talking about big trade, nothing is as good, as both sides having their own confusing terms for big numbers, unintelligible for Americans  

@heri @EUCommission

Show threadChrisJan 27
@xChaos @heri @EUCommission well shot 🤣
Show threadMastokarl 🇺🇦Jan 27
@heri @EUCommission Because English language?
Show threadmr brown  Jan 27

@EUCommission great! imagine for a second you 🇪🇺 had to negotiate for 20 years with 28 (indian) States... what a mess, right?

#eufederation #eu

Show threadZoidberg For PresidentJan 27
@EUCommission Terrible...
Show threadPaulJan 27
@EUCommission excellent work and a great start. Thank you!
Show threadPaulJan 27
@EUCommission Sorry, recalling my congratulations. 10 votes missing in EP 😡
Show threadSammieJan 27

Congrats to everyone in the @EUCommission! Also, if you are planning to relocate from India to the European Union…

Check out ‘Global Extension’ on the @meuvy platform!

You can verify your location outside the EU and select a city to compare it with an EU city.

Download it now: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/meuvy/id6743541588?l=en-GB

mEUvy App - App Store

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Show threadmEUvy appJan 27
@samthecodingguy @EUCommission 🎉🇪🇺🇮🇳
Show threadVideo Processing WikiJan 27
@EUCommission
That is a great sales pitch. So what are the downsides? Who in EU looses? Who in India looses?
Show threadABT554Jan 27

@EUCommission

I would be more excited if the working majority would see anything of those "4 billion saved in tarrifs".

But most of that saved money will just end up in a few CEO pockets instead and we'll have to continue to scratch together our savings for food :/

Show threadEnea LecasJan 27
@EUCommission Much love to India. Great food, great people, great music.
Show threadAngelinaJan 27
@Enea90 @EUCommission And great Mittal.
Show threadaprilfooJan 27

@EUCommission Behind the wonder of this agreement, the geopolitics of business promoted by the EC completely ignores the brutal nature of Modi's nationalist and religious regime: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/india

The ruling party and its leader are products of the "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh" (RSS), the oldest and biggest fascist group that ever existed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh

World Report 2025: Rights Trends in India

Human Rights Watch
Show threadAuzasJan 27
@aprilfoo @EUCommission I’ll play the devil’s advocate a bit. What do we care? Obviously we can’t (and shouldn’t) change how another country operates. How about we focus on problems in the EU, instead of trying to save the world? We’re not going to have any partners if we just decide not to work with anyone who does not share our values. Which aren’t exactly homgenous either.
Show threadaprilfooJan 27

@auzas @EUCommission In diplomacy human rights can always be put the table. So the question is: what did "we" get in exchange of closing our eyes?

Leaving the "devil's advocate" cynicism apart, there a big gap between "what do we care" and "trying to save the world".

Show threadAuzasJan 27

@aprilfoo @EUCommission

I would argue for continued relevancy on the global stage, which by extension stabilizes things at home, as for what "we" got.

If I understand correctly by "we" you mean "we, the people" in contrast to corpos.

Call me delusional, but I don't think EU is going down the road of the US when it comes to uncontrolled, crony capitalism.

So I'm fine with this. I'm not fine with fascism on my doorstep. Yes, it's cynical, but it is what it is in 2026. My idealist heart hurts

Show threadSgtMoredread🇨🇦Jan 27
@EUCommission India is a democracy ????
Show threadAngelinaJan 27
@EUCommission Great, our companies will be able to relocate more easily to India. And Mittal, which has already completely scuttled our steelworks, is already rubbing its hands to sell its Indian steel even cheaper than ours. 😀
Show threadBarry Cook 🇨🇦Jan 27
@EUCommission - much like concerns in Canada about recent deals with dodgy governments, the EU celebrates pushing trade above all else - like human rights, or rule of law.
Business over moral integrity.
Show threadmichaitaJan 27
@EUCommission
Show threadouchenFeb 2
@EUCommission 👎