New Delhi, Oct. 26 -- India and the European Union (EU) are working to meet a December deadline to sign their free trade agreement (FTA), with the European Commission proposing an expedited approval process for helping clear the way for the deal, people familiar with the discussions said. The signing is being targeted for around December 17-18 in Brussels, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit, they said. The Commission has urged the Council of the European Union to expedite approval of the agreement, whose negotiations were concluded on January 27, as both sides seek to move ahead amid global geopolitical uncertainty, the people said, requesting anonymity. The proposal, according to the people, would allow the approval process to proceed on the basis of the English text rather than waiting for translations into all 24 official EU languages-a process they said could delay progress by more than a year. The December signing window remains a target rather than a confirmed date. The Council, which represents the 27 EU member states, must approve the Commission's proposal before the agreement can be signed. The deal would then require the European Parliament's consent as well as a further Council decision on its conclusion. India must also complete its domestic procedures before the agreement can enter into force. Commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal is expected to visit Brussels this week to discuss outstanding procedural issues, the people said. His visit follows commerce minister Piyush Goyal's recent trip to Germany and the Netherlands, from October 22 to 27. In a social media post on Saturday, Goyal said he had "emphasised the transformative potential of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement in expanding market access, strengthening supply chains, and creating new avenues for trade and investment". In Germany, he met federal minister for economic affairs and energy Katherina Reiche and Levin Holle, an economic and financial policy adviser at the German Federal Chancellery, according to a commerce ministry statement. A delegation from the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs is also scheduled to visit New Delhi from October 26 to 28. Led by committee chair David McAllister, the delegation's visit will be its first official trip to India under the Parliament's current mandate, according to the people. The FTA negotiations were concluded at the 16th India-EU summit in New Delhi on January 27, 2026....