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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

European Commission taken to court over India-EU trade pact
10-Jan-2013 The Hindu
The European Commission is set to appear before an EU Court on Friday, over access to information regarding negotiations on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement.
Farmers against Indo-EU FTA
3-Jan-2013 Hueiyen News Service
Objecting to Indo-EU Free Trade Agreement which has been signed between Government of India and European Union in 2009, farmers in Manipur have decided to prevent implementation of the agreement and sent a memorandum to Central Government in this regard after a consultative meeting on Monday.
Commission in court over privileged access for business in EU-India free trade talks
11-Dec-2012 CEO
The EU’s General Court has announced a date for the hearing for Corporate Europe Observatory’s legal action, suing the EU Commission for withholding information 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.
Praful Patel for import duty cuts on luxury cars from EU
26-Nov-2012
Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel Monday said his ministry is agreeable to cutting duty on luxury cars imported from Europe as part of the proposed India-European Union free trade agreement.
India-EU free trade pact may not conclude this year: IGCC
18-Oct-2012 PTI
The much-delayed negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement between India and the EU are unlikely to conclude this year due to persisting differences over several issues such as opening up of the services sector and level of duty cuts in the automobile segment.
Keen interest in completing Indo-EU FTA: German envoy
3-Oct-2012 SME Times
The German envoy to India Wednesday said the business communities of both countries have shown tremendous interest in completing the India-European Union free trade agreement.
Batting for $100-billion BPO industry: India links free trade agreement with EU to data-secure tag
10-Sep-2012 Economic Times
India has upped the ante in its bid to get data-secure status from the European Union by linking it with free trade agreement.
’India, EU free trade agreement facing bureaucratic hurdles’
7-Sep-2012 PTI
Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb blames special interests and bureaucratic obstacles for the delay in signing of the EU-India FTA.
EU launches probe into dumping of Indian steel wire
13-Aug-2012 Reuters
The European Commission said it had received an anti-dumping complaint by European steel producers’ group Eurofer against imports of stainless steel wires from India.
’Services sector, sticking point in India-EU free trade talks’
8-Aug-2012 PTI
India and the European Union are facing “difficulties” relating to the services sector in signing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders said here today.