- 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
6-Oct-2010
ToI
Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+) is staging a mass demonstration in front of Udyog Bhavan on Wednesday to protest against the inclusion of intellectual property (IP) provisions in the EU-India free trade agreement (FTA) which they fear will affect people’s access to affordable HIV/AIDS drugs.
5-Oct-2010
Civil society groups today urged the European Commission and Indian Government to halt free trade negotiations, scheduled to continue in Delhi tomorrow
5-Oct-2010
We are calling for an international week of joint action from 4 October 2010 to 9 October 2010 to call upon the Government of India to reject
the EU-India FTA, especially the provisions relating to intellectual
property rights and investment.
30-Sep-2010
Asia Pacific Network of people living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) and Delhi Network of positive people (DNP+)
People living with HIV call out EU hypocrisy on Millennium Development Goals as it forces its trade agreements on developing countries, seizes generic drugs and negotiates ACTA
24-Sep-2010
Negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union, the world’s largest economy, and India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, took one more step towards completion today, with chief negotiators concluding 2-day talks in Brussels.
20-Sep-2010
DNP+
We request organizations and individuals across the world to join Delhi Network of Positive People in a sign on letter to issue a appeal to the Indian government to ’not sign on’ to any IP provisions in the FTA negotiations.
1-Sep-2010
CEO
The livelihoods of millions of small farmers, street traders and patients are at risk under the terms of a new trade deal being negotiated by the EU and India which has been hijacked by big business, a new joint report from Corporate Europe Observatory and India FDI Watch reveals
19-Aug-2010
India has said that it will not compromise on issues related to health and people’s right to medicine in the bilateral trade and investment agreement being negotiated with the European Union.
3-Aug-2010
IPS
There are already reports that India and the European Union will have a free-trade agreement ready by the end of August, causing more nervous chatter here in India
25-Jul-2010
France 24
India and the European Union are to hold a fresh series of free-trade talks next month in Brussels in a bid to clinch a deal by the end of the year, an official said.
