European Union | DD News

March 3, 2026 10:12 AM

France to boost nuclear arsenal, involve European allies in deterrence

France will expand its nuclear arsenal and will potentially allow European partners to host its aircraft on nuclear deterrence missions, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, signalling a major doctrine change for France and the continent. Though France and Britain are both nuclear powers, most European countries have relied primarily on the United States for deterring any potential adversaries - a decades-old pillar of transatlantic security. But Trump's rapprochement with Russia on the U...

February 16, 2026 10:12 AM

Europe aims to rely less on US defence after Trump’s Greenland push

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reflected a feeling of profound change among European leaders at this weekend's Munich Security Conference when she said: "Some lines have been crossed that cannot be uncrossed anymore". Transatlantic ties have already been strained over the past year by Donald Trump’s return to the White House. But the U.S. president’s push to annex Greenland dramatically increased European doubts about Washington’s commitment to protect the continent th...

February 12, 2026 6:44 PM

India urges medtech startups to go global as trade pacts open access to 70% of world GDP

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday urged medical technology startups to expand beyond the domestic market and tap India’s free trade agreements that now provide access to nearly 70% of global GDP, most of it at zero duty for Indian products. Speaking at the Pfizer INDovation Startup Showcase in New Delhi, Goyal said nine free trade agreements signed over the past three years cover 38 countries, including major developed and emerging markets, creating unpreceden...

February 2, 2026 10:16 PM

EU efforts to diversify critical raw material imports fail so far, auditors say

The European Court of Auditors said on Monday the EU's efforts to diversify its imports of metals and minerals critical to tech, defence and the energy transition had "yet to produce tangible results". The EU's Critical Raw Materials Act in 2024 set a plan to boost local production of 34 strategic materials to reduce an over-reliance on imports from just a few countries - mainly China, Turkey and Chile. The list includes lithium, antimony, tungsten, copper and rare earth elements needed to man...

February 2, 2026 4:19 PM

Europe’s $955 billion recovery fund struggles to transform economy

In olive groves and vineyards dotted across Spain, sensors and drones paid for by Europe's largest recovery fund since the post-war Marshall Plan are gathering soil data to feed into AI models which will help farmers better manage their crops. The project - decarbonising and digitalising a key economic sector - is exactly what the European Union's $955-billion "Next Generation" fund, agreed six years ago and fast approaching final payout deadlines, was designed to nurture. Yet skills shortages...

January 30, 2026 4:05 PM

PM Modi shares article on historic India-EU Free Trade Agreement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared an article authored by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on the historic India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Responding to a post by Goyal on X, the Prime Minister said the article outlined how the landmark trade agreement expands markets, creates jobs, and safeguards India’s core interests. He described the piece as a “must-read” for understanding the transformative impact of the India–EU trade deal. “In this must-...

January 30, 2026 10:37 AM

EU designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation in policy shift

European Union foreign ministers on Thursday agreed to include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the bloc's list of terrorist organisations, putting the powerful guards in a category similar to that of Islamic State and al Qaeda and marking a symbolic shift in Europe's approach to Iran's leadership. "Repression cannot go unanswered," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on social media platform X. "Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward i...

January 28, 2026 2:18 PM

‘India comes out on top’: US Trade Representative Greer says India gains access to EU markets after FTA

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said that India stands to benefit the most from the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union, citing greater market access, labour advantages, and potential mobility opportunities for Indian workers. In an interview with Fox News, Greer said the agreement must be viewed in the context of shifting global trade dynamics under US President Donald Trump's push to prioritise domestic production. He noted that the Eur...

January 27, 2026 5:27 PM

India-EU FTA: ‘Mother of all deals’ lays foundation for future-ready strategic partnership aligned with India@2047

India and the European Union have taken a historic leap in their bilateral relationship with the conclusion of negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), described as the “Mother of All Deals.” Announced during the visit of the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission to India, the agreement marks a defining moment in India-EU ties and lays the foundation for a future-ready strategic partnership aligned with India@2047. Covering two of...

January 27, 2026 3:26 PM

Free Trade Agreement beginning of a ‘new era’ in India-EU relations: PM Modi

India and the European Union on Tuesday marked a major milestone in their bilateral relations with the conclusion of the largest Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in India’s history, alongside the launch of a comprehensive Security and Defence Partnership, signalling a decisive deepening of strategic, economic, and people-centric cooperation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a joint press statement with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von de...