The commentary “The 2026 EU–India free trade agreement: why it matters for global health and trade“, published in the August 2026 issue of The Lancet Regional Health – Europe represents a joint contribution of the Lancet Commission on the European Health Union. It was written by an international group of authors including several commissioners of the Lancet EHU, coordinated by Dr Astrid Berner-Rodoreda of the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health. The piece is linked to the Commission’s report now in preparation, and in particular to its theme on the EU’s role in global health and the coherence of its trade and health policies. Its main message is that the agreement, which covers nearly two billion people, could become a model for aligning trade policy with global health priorities.
This trade agreement reduces the parties’ dependence on trade with the United States and China. Trade in health products is an important component. The most-favoured-nation clause makes trade more predictable for both parties with tariff elimination likely reducing the prices for health products in Europe and India. For Europe, the benefits could be significant. Generics account for 90% of critical medicine use in the EU, so eliminating tariffs should improve the availability of quality-assured medicines that are currently scarce or unaffordable. This can be a complementary strategy to the Critical Medicines Act, helping to diversify supply. At the global level, the exclusion of “TRIPS-plus” intellectual property measures protects India’s role as a supplier of affordable generics to low- and middle-income countries. In addition, mandatory environmental risk assessments for medicines manufactured outside the EU will likely have positive effects on the fight against antimicrobial resistance. India’s intended association with Horizon Europe (which is not part of the EU-India FTA but a concurrent development) strengthens collaboration on digital health and artificial intelligence between India and Europe and may lead to innovative solutions in the health sector.
The authors also point to possible risks. Strong trade secret protection that are beneficial to European producers of biologics, could hinder Indian biosimilars, local production, and the affordability of vaccines and products for chronic diseases in India. Zero-duty imports could weaken India’s emerging medical devices sector, which currently relies on imports for 70–90% of its needs. The trade agreement may also lead to potential negative effects for India’s neighbouring countries. According to the authors, these potential effects will need careful monitoring, and the agreement should be judged on its potential to become a blueprint for new partnerships that strengthen coherence between the EU’s trade and health policies and uphold a global health perspective.