The Hindu Business Line : India, EU in talks to end deadlock on labour, eco issues

New Delhi, Nov. 6 India and the European Union on Friday said they would resolve all contentious issues impeding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) amicably, even as they continue to engage in discussions to break the stalemate over labour and environment issues.

“We have discussed various issues and are committed to resolving them amicably. We have in-principle agreed to conclude the discussions soon,” Mr Anand Sharma, Commerce and Industry Minister, said.

He was addressing presspersons after attending the 10th India-EU CEO’s meeting.

The meeting was attended by the EU Trade Commissioner, Ms Catherine Ashton, and Swedish Trade Minister, Ms Ewa Bjorling, besides various Indian industry chambers, including FICCI and CII. Leaders from India and the EU began discussions at a summit on Friday to give a boost to negotiations for a free-trade pact and expand cooperation in areas ranging from counter-terrorism to climate change.

India and the EU have been in negotiations to reach a broad trade and investment pact, including an FTA, for the past two years.

But differences over intellectual property rights and the EU’s insistence on linking trade with environmental issues and child labour in India have been holding up the progress.

Ms Ashton, said, “Our joint commitment to ensure the Doha Round is a success for all and to give a new impetus to our negotiations for a broad-based bilateral trade and investment agreement show we are on the right track,” she added.

The EU is India’s largest trading partner with annual bilateral trade of $110 billion.

Responding to India’s concerns over confiscation of generic medicines produced by Indian companies in Europe, Ms Ashton said: “We have no intention to stop consignments of generic medicines. Our officials have met and will meet again to sort out the differences.”

Meanwhile, Ms Bjorling said, “We don’t believe that the signals we sent are protectionist but a positive interaction. It has been like a vital vitamin injection for taking the meeting ahead.”

On the issue of banning job visas for Chinese contractual workers, Mr Sharma said the decision was limited to unskilled labour and not skilled people like engineers.

More Stories on : Foreign Trade | Environment

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page