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
Articles
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10-Sep-2012 Economic Times Batting for $100-billion BPO industry: India links free trade agreement with EU to data-secure tag
India has upped the ante in its bid to get data-secure status from the European Union by linking it with free trade agreement. -
7-Sep-2012 PTI ’India, EU free trade agreement facing bureaucratic hurdles’
Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb blames special interests and bureaucratic obstacles for the delay in signing of the EU-India FTA. -
13-Aug-2012 Reuters EU launches probe into dumping of Indian steel wire
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. -
8-Aug-2012 PTI ’Services sector, sticking point in India-EU free trade talks’
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. -
21-Jul-2012 Free trade pact with EU likely by year-end
India’s Ministry of Commerce is confident of concluding the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union by the end of the year. -
10-Jul-2012 ZDNet India protests EU study on its data laws
Country upset over European Union’s decision to examine if it’s "data secure" before committing to bilateral free trade agreement aimed at boosting outsourcing flow between region and India. -
26-Jun-2012 Prensa Latina Nuevo intento India-Unión Europea por destrabar TLC
La India y la Unión Europea (UE) revisarán hoy en Bruselas los principales problemas que mantienen bloqueada la firma de un tratado bilateral de libre comercio. -
26-Jun-2012 DNA India India to talk retail FDI at EU free-trade meet
At the meeting with the European Trade Commission on June 26 in Brussels, the Indian delegation, headed by commerce minister Anand Sharma, will focus on the government’s achievements including opening up single-brand retail to foreign direct investment. -
24-Jun-2012 PTI India, EU to take stock of proposed free trade pact on Tuesday
India and EU are scheduled to take stock of the much-delayed negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. -
20-May-2012 Minister-level meeting next month on India-EU free trade agreement
In a bid to fast track the much-delayed negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement between India and European Union, commerce minister Anand Sharma will hold comprehensive discussions with EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht next month in Brussels. -
10-May-2012 2016 targets to be missed if India-EU FTA covers auto sector
Automobile industry body SIAM today cautioned that the sector will miss targets of the Automotive Mission Plan 2006-16 if it is included in the proposed free-trade agreement with the European Union for allowing imports of vehicles at lower duties. -
1-Apr-2012 EU won’t get further access to government business
India will not concede to EU’s demand that European companies be allowed to participate in procurements made by public sector enterprises in the country as part of a free trade agreement being negotiated. -
27-Mar-2012 Les Echos UE-Inde : les marchés publics au coeur des négociations
Les propositions formulées la semaine dernière par la Commission européenne pour imposer aux pays tiers une réciprocité dans l’ouverture de leurs marchés publics sont au coeur des difficiles négociations en cours pour la conclusion d’un accord de libre échange entre l’Inde et l’Europe. -
21-Mar-2012 European Union whines despite India agreeing to halve import duty on its wines
Economic Times, India European Union whines despite India agreeing to halve import duty on its wines 22 March 2012 By Amiti Sen, ET Bureau NEW DELHI: India has proposed to halve import duties on wines and spirits bought from the European Union under the bilateral free trade agreement being negotiated between the two, but the 27-country union is demanding steeper cuts. Last month, EU officials argued liquor imported from the region would become affordable for Indian customers only if (...) -
25-Feb-2012 Economonitor India-EU FTA: Where Is Europe’s trade agenda headed?
The internal documents of the European Commission reveal the disgraceful attempts to push for higher levels of commitments in trade in industrial goods and agricultural products, services and investment liberalisation, geographical indications and government procurement under the proposed India-EU free trade agreement. -
22-Feb-2012 IMFMetal Trade unions discuss EU India FTA
International Metalworkers Federation South Asia Office organized a workshop on EU India Free Trade Agreement on February 14 and 15 in New Delhi. Representatives of Indian national trade union centres and Indian affiliates of IMF, BWI, ITGLWF, UNI, ICEM exchanged views on trade policies and implications for development and employment with IMF affiliates from France, Italy, Canada, Argentina and Japan. -
20-Feb-2012 First Post EU-India FTA: Shrouded in secrecy, it’s certainly not in our interest
An analysis of the FTA, the circumstances, additional documents and the entire process smack of an agreement that is terribly not in favour of India, writes KM Gopakumar -
17-Feb-2012 Keep paper in negative list while signing FTAs: Assocham
To provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry, trade body Assocham today urged the government to keep paper and its products in the negative list while signing bi-lateral and multi-lateral trade treaties. -
17-Feb-2012 Chill this pill
Last week, the 12th India-EU Summit was held amid growing expectations that the two partners would announce the date for the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that is being negotiated since 2007. This agreement was projected as “one of the new generation of EU FTAs launched as part of the Global Europe strategy”, the focus of which was market opening and stronger rules in new trade areas of economic importance to the EU, including intellectual property rights (IPR), services, investment, public procurement and competition. -
17-Feb-2012 La Via Campesina Farmers, people living with HIV and small traders protest against the EU
Indian farmers joined people with HIV and small traders to protest against the EU-India Free Trade agreement, which will impact all three sectors by ending livelihoods and cutting access to cheap medicines.
