Press Trust of India

EU waiting for India’s submission of list on FTA

28 April 2008

Kolkata, Apr 28 (PTI) The European Union is waiting for India to submit the list of items that will be covered under the proposed Free Trade Agreement between the two trading partners, a EU official said today.

Daniele Smadja, Ambassador and head of the delegation of the EU to India, said the EU had already submitted its list of items to India. "We are now waiting for the Indian government to respond," she said.

She said that the EU wanted that 90 per cent of the items traded between the two partners should be included in the FTA, which would enhance the two-way trade.

In 2007, the EU imports from India were worth 26 billion euros, while exports were of 29 billion euros, leaving a trade deficit of three billion euros.

She said the volume of trade was as per the potential.

Smadja said that FTA would also help remove barriers to trade as well as non-tariff barriers.

"We hope for the government to show enough political will to show its commitment to the FTA," she said. PTI