Lok Sabha Question No. 1152 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-14
Subject: Digital Services Agreement
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Girish Bhalchandra Bapat, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Pritam Gopinath Munde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1152 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 th  DECEMBER, 2022

## DIGITAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

## 1152.  SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

SHRI GIRISH BHALCHANDRA BAPAT:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  Australia  has  shown  keen  interest  in  exploring  a  digital  services  agreement with India under a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether both the countries have started negotiations on the same and if so, the time by which final decision is likely to be taken in this regard;
- (c) whether negotiation for the CECA began in 2011 and was suspended in 2016, if so, the reasons therefor and the present status thereof;
- (d) whether  Australia  is  planning  to  set  up  a  Centre  of  Excellence  for  Critical  and Emerging Technology Policy in Bengaluru; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) & (b): The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and trade agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA) was signed on 2nd April 2022 and will enter into force on 29 December 2022. As per Article 14.5  of  Chapter  14-  Final  Provisions,  the  Negotiation  sub-committee  established  under  the agreement  shall  commence  negotiations  on  amendments  to  this  Agreement,  on  a  without prejudice  basis,  to  transform  this  Agreement  into  a  Comprehensive  Economic  Cooperation Agreement  (CECA).  Amongst  the  indicated  areas,  a  chapter  on  Digital  trade  is  one  of  the

indicated  areas  on  which  negotiations  will  take  place  under  the  CECA.  Negotiations  for  a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation agreement are yet to start.

(c): Negotiations on India-Australia bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement commenced in 2011 and 9 rounds of negotiations were held till 2015. Thereafter, no negotiations were  held as both the countries were  part of the then  ongoing  Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.

In September 2021, India and Australia formally re-launched CECA negotiations with the intention  of  concluding  an  Economic  Cooperation  and  Trade  Agreement  (Ind-Aus  ECTA)  to swiftly liberalise and deepen bilateral trade in goods and services, and to then use this foundation for  further  negotiations  on  a  more  comprehensive  CECA.  The  India-Australia  Economic Cooperation  Trade  Agreement  (Ind-Aus  ECTA)  was  signed on  2nd April,2022  and  will  enter into force on 29th December,2022.

(d)  &  (e):  A  proposal  to  explore  the  setting  up  of  a  Centre  of  Excellence  for  Critical  and Emerging Technology in Bengaluru is being discussed between India and Australia.

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