The Government of India is negotiating a bilateral Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) with the European Union (EU) and negotiations were launched in Brussels on 28-29 June, 2007 based on the recommendations of the High Level Trade Group at the 7th India-EU Summit in October, 2006 in Helsinki. Negotiations across a number of tracks including Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Investment, Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, Trade Remedies, Government Procurement, Customs Cooperation and Trade Facilitation, Dispute Settlement, Competition and Intellectual Property Rights etc. are underway. So far fifteen rounds of negotiations have been held.

Negotiating stands on market access issues are crystallized after extensive consultations with stakeholders and with a view to ensuring that the agreement as and when concluded will lead to positive outcomes for the country as a whole and the particular sector specifically.

The European Union (EU) had commissioned a Report in 2010 to analyse the adequacy of protection of personal data provided in India. However, this report had not recommended India to be granted the Data Secure Status. Government through various fora has taken up the matter with the European Union requesting the EU to grant India Data Secure Status, capturing the developments after the amendment in Information Technology Act (2008) and the rules framed thereunder in 2011.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Dr. D Purandeswari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

DS/RK

(Release ID :93600)

Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement negotiations continue, market access refined and India seeks EU recognition of its data protection framework. Negotiations for a Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement between India and the EU proceed across multiple tracks-including goods, services, investment, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers, government procurement, customs cooperation, dispute settlement, competition and intellectual property-with market access positions crystallized after stakeholder consultation; separately, the EU's 2010 report did not grant India Data Secure Status, and the Indian Government has requested reconsideration in light of amendments to the Information Technology Act and 2011 rules.