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  1. Negotiations

EU-India


The European Union and India launched negotiations on a bilateral free trade and investment agreement in June 2007. However, between the governments, a number of controversies have been plaguing the talks. Delhi wants Brussels to relax its stringent food safety criteria which penalise Indian farm and fishery exports and to make it easier for Indian professionals to work in the EU. Europe is primarily out to win major openings of India’s services sector and broad liberalisation of foreign investment, while India does not want to discuss allowing European firms to compete in India’s government procurement market.

Indian social movements, including fisherfolk and labour unions, people living with HIV/AIDS and other health activists have been mobilizing against the FTA. International actions and campaigns have particularly targeted the proposed intellectual property provisions of the agreement, and the impact of the FTA on access to medicines.

last update: May 2012
Photo: MSF

Trade winds: India-EU FTA may face a delay
19-Nov-2011    
There is little chance that the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) would be signed before or at the India-EU summit to be held in New Delhi in February next year, a top German official said.
European Union hopeful FTA negotiations will be completed by February
14-Nov-2011     First Post
Admitting that some issues are blocking the finalisation of the Free Trade Agreement with India, the European Union on Monday voiced hope that negotiations would be completed by the next India-EU Summit scheduled to be held in February.
EU-India free trade top priority for Britain: European Parliament member Sajjad Karim
11-Nov-2011     IANS
Britain has made the European Union (EU)-India free trade agreement (FTA) "as its number one priority", a British member of the European Parliament said.
EU-FTA: Wine tax reduction remains pipe dream
28-Sep-2011     Indian Wine Academy
The target date for reaching a deal is now February 2012
India-EU free trade talks resume today
12-Sep-2011    
India and the European Union (EU) are resuming talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) from tomorrow.
Commerce Min for protection of domestic auto industry: Patel
4-Sep-2011    
Heavy Industry Minister Praful Patel has said the Commerce Ministry is "broadly supportive" of the view that the domestic automobile industry should be protected when India signs a free trade agreement with the European Union.
Chandel people protest against EU-India free trade agreement
23-Aug-2011     Imphal Free Press
Various social organizations held sit-in-protest against European Union-India free trade agreement at Zaphou in Chandel district (Manipur, India) today.
The alarmingly uneven deal of the India-EU FTA
22-Aug-2011    
For over four years now, India has been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) - the largest trade and investment deal the country has ever embarked on. As much as New Delhi expects to lure the European market and investments closer to India, the actual consequences for the country’s economy could be dire: the open up of public procurement, the deregulation of the banking, automobile, retail and mining industries plus the adverse impact the deal will have in small-scale farmers make of this FTA a counter-productive undertaking.
European Union not keen to relax FTA visa curbs
15-Aug-2011    
The European Union is pushing for more foreign investment in a slew of sectors-banking, insurance, legal, accounting, postal, maritime and security services-but is unwilling to allow a bigger number of Indian professionals to work in the 27-member union. The EU is also reluctant in permitting services trade through electronic channels.
Mass rally cum public meet against India-EU FTA
7-Aug-2011    
A mass rally cum public meeting in protest against EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was held Saturday at the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh (Manipur) under the aegis of Hill Tribals’ Council (HTC) and Meitei Council, Moreh (MCM).