Question : Trade Talks with European Union

a) whether the Government has suspended negotiations with the European Union (EU) on a bilateral trade agreement and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
b) whether the EU has also banned the sale of various Indian generic medicines and pharmaceutical products and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the remedial steps taken by the Government in this regard;
c) whether India and the EU have previously failed to bridge substantial gaps on certain crucial issues and if so, the details thereof;
d) whether the Government proposes to resume negotiations with the EU on the said bilateral trade agreement and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken in this regard; and
e) whether any agenda has been worked out for bilateral agreement negotiations with the EU and if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)
(SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

(a) & (b): A Chief Negotiator level meeting in India-European Union Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement (India-EU BTIA) which was scheduled on 28th Aug, 2015 in Delhi was deferred by the Government of India in view of action by EU suspending the market authorisation of around 700 pharma products clinically tested by GVK Biosciences, Hyderabad. This action was based on an ongoing legal scrutiny into documentation of GVK Biosciences.

(c), (d) & (e): India and European Union are negotiating a Bilateral Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) covering various tracks. So far fifteen rounds of negotiations have been held. The Chief Negotiators are to meet in the beginning of the next year to take the negotiations further. As is consistent with previous and established practice in ongoing negotiations, disclosure before finalisation of the Agreement may adversely affect India’s position in the negotiations.
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