- 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
3-Mar-2011
IP Left
The Korea-EU FTA must be dismantled. And the lives of patients in over 120 countries are on the line regarding the India-EU FTA. What will devastate the Pharmacy of the World must also be stopped.
2-Mar-2011
Thousands of people with HIV and cancer marched through the streets of India’s capital Wednesday to protest a planned trade deal with the European Union that they claim would restrict access to affordable medicines.
2-Mar-2011
Business Standard
John Clancy, spokesperson for the European Commission’s trade directorate, told Business Standard this week’s talks would focus on “tariffs and services”.
28-Feb-2011
People living with HIV from across Asia who depend on affordable generic AIDS medicines to stay alive will urge the Indian government to stand strong against European Union demands on the sensitive intellectual property chapter in ongoing free trade agreement negotiations.
25-Feb-2011
Hindu Business Line
The EU’s proposed trade agreement is riddled with intellectual property provisions that would harm India’s 2005 Patent Act and block public-interest rulings such as the Aluvia decision.
23-Feb-2011
OS Blog
"It’s like an ant fighting an elephant. We are one of the weakest and poorest groups and they (the EU and the pharmaceutical industry) are among the richest and strongest."
21-Feb-2011
The Hindu
According to media reports, India wants up to 50,000 extra visas a year spread across EU’s 27 member-States under the proposed India-EU free trade agreement with Britain said to be under pressure to cough up 20,000 of these.
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
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.
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.
