India, EU Eye Quick Wins in FTA Push

The European Union has fast-tracked the India-EU free trade talks with the possibility of an early harvest deal being announced soon, and negotiators of both sides are meeting in Brussels this week towards this objective, just days after concluding the 11th negotiating round in New Delhi on May 16, people aware of the development said.

- Rajeev Jayaswal

NEW DELHI:

The EU doesn't want to be left out after its erstwhile member, the United Kingdom successfully concluded India-UK free trade negotiations on May 6 and the bilateral trade talks between the United States and India are at an advanced stage, they said requesting anonymity.

Out of about two-dozen chapters—such as trade in goods and services, investments, government procurement, mobility for professionals, and intellectual property—India and the EU have already finalized at least three to four chapters, they said. Other proposed chapters include sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade (TBT), trade remedies, rules of origin (ROO), customs and trade facilitation, competition, trade defence, dispute settlement, geographical indications, and sustainable development.