New Delhi, Jan. 28 -- Amid mounting concerns over trade-impeding regulations, India and the European Union have built two key safeguards into the free trade agreement to protect negotiated market access and benefits against future regulatory actions, officials said.

The provisions -- a Rapid Response Mechanism and a Non-Violation Complaints (NVCs) clause -- are aimed at addressing the risks posed by the EU's expanding regulatory framework, which Indian exporters and service providers have increasingly flagged as a source of uncertainty and compliance burden.

The safeguards assume significance against the backdrop of the EU's growing use of regulations covering sustainability, climate action, labour standards, digital governance and prod...