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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

India-EU FTA: Tough negotiations over healthcare norms
21-Feb-2011     Business Standard
Apart from intellectual property concerns, the EU is pushing for harmonisation of standards on medical devices and clinical trials, both of which may benefit large TNCs, in its free trade deal with India
Problems in trade talks with EU
18-Feb-2011     Hindu Business Line
EU is pushing India to relax controls on capital flows and conditions on investment, such as export obligation and local content requirement.
EU Commission sued over privileging corporate lobby groups in EU-India trade talks
15-Feb-2011     CEO
Today, Corporate Europe Observatory launched a legal action, suing the EU’s executive in the EU General Court for withholding documents related to the EU’s free trade talks with India. The Commission is accused of discriminating in favour of corporate lobby groups and of violating the EU’s transparency rules.
EU hauled to court over secrecy in India trade talks
15-Feb-2011     Reuters
Transparency campaigners have hauled the European Union's executive to court for withholding documents about free trade talks with India, intensifying pressure on the bloc to make its policy-making less secretive.
Kenya joins drive to block new EU policy on ARVs
8-Feb-2011     The Standard
Kenyan activists have written to the European Union and the Kenya Government, protesting what they term damaging trade agreements such as the European Union-India Free Trade Agreement and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. They say the pacts would damage the fight against Aids.
India-EU FTA: Grave implications of unrestrained investments
1-Feb-2011     Madhyam
The EC recommendations contain several alarming policy provisions and therefore should receive public attention both in Europe and India. If implemented, these provisions would seriously undermine development priorities and restrict policy space to regulate investments in the public interest.
Don’t swallow this pill
1-Feb-2011     Indian Express
Troubling news reports indicate that a newly-minted Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India would permit companies to circumvent visionary safeguards built into India’s 2005 Patents Act, widely seen as one of the most progressive patent laws in the world.
IPA concerned over PMO's efforts to destabilize India's IPR regime at the behest of EU
27-Jan-2011     PharmaBiz
The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, an association of leading Indian pharma companies, has raised alarm over the recent media reports that efforts are going on in the Prime Ministers Office to destabilize India's IPR regime at the behest of European Union which, the IPA cautioned the government, will have serious implications on the public health, access to medicines and the domestic generic industry.
Data exclusivity still key hurdle to India-EU FTA
27-Jan-2011     Business Standard
Despite all official assurances, the path towards a free trade agreement between India and the European Union this year remains ambiguous, as both sides are unwilling to relax their stand on the biggest stumbling block — the issue of “data exclusivity”.
India-EU trade agreement likely only by year-end
22-Jan-2011     Livemint
European Union ambassador to India Daniele Smadja on Friday said ongoing negotiations for the India-EU broad-based trade and investment agreement may not be concluded by April.