- Negotiations
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
18-Jan-2007
BUSINESSEUROPE
At a meeting in Bangalore, on 17 January 2007, BUSINESSEUROPE and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) adopted a joint statement supporting the rapid launch of the negotiations of an ambitious EU-India trade and investment agreement.
13-Jan-2007
Zee News
India said with Portugal taking presidency of the European Union by July, the strong ties between the two countries would help expedite the proposed free trade agreement between India and the EU.
17-Nov-2006
The Hindu
India and the European Union will begin negotiations soon for an ambitious and comprehensive bilateral trade and investment agreement though it may take nearly two years for the pact to become a reality.
9-Nov-2006
Financial Express
The Indian government on Wednesday said the negotiations to ink a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) was not linked to the failure of the Doha round of WTO talks.