- 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
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.
22-Jul-2010
PIJIP
It appears that the EU has dropped its demands for patent
extensions and may have made data exclusivity subject to compulsory licensing in the EU-India FTA.
21-Jul-2010
AFP
Le stand de la Commission européenne à la Conférence internationale sur le sida à Vienne a été "saisi" symboliquement mercredi par des militants pour protester contre des saisies dans l’UE de médicaments génériques destinés à des pays en développement.
25-Jun-2010
The European Union high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton, is currently visiting India to enhance Indo-EU ties. Ashish Ray asked her a few questions:
23-Jun-2010
New York Times
European companies are increasing their presence in emerging markets like India in part to offset sluggish domestic growth. That is also true for Spanish companies that have traditionally focused on former Latin American colonies rather than on Asia.
22-Jun-2010
Business Standard
Both multilateral trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) like the India-EU (European Union) FTA, need to be speedily concluded in order to aid global recovery from the economic crisis, Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma said on Monday.
