India-EU Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement negotiations
India-EU Broad Based
Trade and Investment Agreement negotiations
On 28th June 2007, India and the EU began negotiations on a
broad-based Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) in Brussels,
Belgium.
- These negotiations are pursuant to the commitment made by political
leaders at the India-EU Summit held in Helsinki on 13 October 2006 to move
towards negotiations for a broad-based trade and investment agreement. India
and the EU expect to promote bilateral trade by removing barriers to trade
in goods and services and investment across all sectors of the economy. Both
parties believe that a comprehensive and ambitious agreement that is
consistent with WTO rules and principles would open new markets and would
expand opportunities for Indian and EU businesses.
- The negotiations cover Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Investment,
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, Rules of
Origin, Trade Facilitation and Customs Cooperation, Competition, Trade
Defence mechanism, Government Procurement, Dispute Settlement, IPR & GIs. So
far eleven rounds of negotiations have been held alternately at Brussels and
New Delhi. The last round was held in Brussels in November 2010.