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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 wants EU to get internal consensus on FTA issues
14-Jun-2007    
Learning from its Asean experience, India has asked the European Union to reach an internal consensus before putting offers on the negotiating table for the proposed comprehensive trade and investment agreement, for which talks will start later this month.
FTA talks with EU to begin soon
28-May-2007    
The council of European Union (EU) has given a mandate to European Commission to pursue negotiations to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with India.
APHC appeals to EU to cancel free trade agreement with India
26-May-2007     Pak Tribune
All Parties Hurriyat Conference senior leader and Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement Zaffar Akabar Bhat on Thursday appealed the European Union to cancel the FTA with India due to its poor human rights record across the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir where, from the last 18 years Indian soldiers are not only killing the innocent people but also disappearing the youth and dumping them in fake encounters aimed at converting the majority of Muslim population into minority .
India-EU deal hits political rocks
14-Mar-2007    
A planned free trade deal between the EU and India has run into serious difficulties over whether or not it should include clauses relating to human rights and weapons of mass destruction. But anti-poverty campaigners have also argued that an agreement is undesirable as it could potentially reduce India's control over its own economy.
Rights obstacle to EU-India trade pact
4-Mar-2007     FT
Indian objections to the inclusion of a standard “human rights and democracy” clause in a proposed free trade agreement with the European Union have emerged as a serious stumbling block, the Financial Times has learnt.
EU aide worried by calls to drop India WMD clause
2-Mar-2007     Reuters
A senior European Union official expressed concern on Thursday about calls by some EU states to drop a clause on weapons of mass destruction from a trade and investment agreement planned with nuclear-armed India.
Top EU official pushes trade, investment pact with India
17-Feb-2007     India PRwire
India and the European Union must push for a strong bilateral trade and investment pact even as they continue to play a crucial role to conclude the current round of global trade talks, a top EU official said Friday.
Visa rules for professionals to ease after India-EU FTA
17-Feb-2007     Zee News
Freer movement of Indian professionals in 25 European Union member countries is likely to be a reality in the near future, as this will be a key point of negotiations in the proposed free trade agreement with EU.
EU wants India to lower duties through FTA
15-Feb-2007     Times of India
Trade liberalisation for rubber, tea, coffee and edible oil could be minor political concerns in the proposed free trade pact with Asean compared to what the European Union is looking for in its bilateral agreement with India.
Trade agreement with the EU one of the easiest: Nath
24-Jan-2007     Zee News
Sensing little differences in the proposed free trade agreement with the European Union, India today said the negotiations on the pact should begin soon.