Lok Sabha Question No. 2983 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Negotiation in FTA
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Tapir Gao

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2983 ANSWERED ON 18/03/2025

## NEGOTIATION IN FTA

## 2983.  SHRI TAPIR GAO:

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

(a) the details of expected outcomes from the high-level dialogue between the Ministry and European Commissioner regarding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA);

(b) the details of the key areas that are being prioritized for negotiation in this FTA;

(c) the manner in which the Ministry plan to address tariff and non-tariff barriers to facilitate a commercially meaningful trade agenda with the EU;

(d) the  extent  to  which  India  engage  with  the  EU  to  harmonize  standards  and  share  best practices in order to achieve 'zero defect' and 'zero effect' production capabilities; and

(e) the manner in which India plan to ensure that the upcoming FTA addresses the needs and concerns of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), farmers and fishermen on both sides?

## ANSWER

वाणिज्य और उद्योग मं त्रालय में राज्य मं त्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (e) The  High-Level  dialogue  (HLD)  between  Hon'ble  Minister  of  Commerce  and Industry and Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade was held on 18-19 January 2025. The two leaders reviewed the progress made so far in the ongoing India-European Union Free Trade Agreement Negotiations (India-EU FTA), the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) and discussed issues of bilateral importance. As an outcome of the High-Level dialogue, India and EU agreed to cooperate in Agri-food, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Clean Technologies  sectors  with  the  aim  of  promoting  value  chains  that  can  withstand  global challenges. In addition, the High-Level Dialogue led to listing of a number of Indian aquaculture establishments for  export to  the  European Union and the issue of equivalence  for  agricultural organic products was taken up. Both sides aim to conclude a fair, equitable, mutually beneficial and commercially meaningful Free Trade Agreement(FTA), which takes into consideration the needs  and  concerns  of  all  the  stakeholders  including  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises  (SMEs), farmers and fishermen on both sides.

Within  the  framework  of  World  Trade  Organization  (WTO),   all  countries  impose  trade measures  on  imports  primarily  in  the  form  of  sanitary  and  phytosanitary  measures,  technical trade regulations, quota restrictions, safeguard duties, and various sustainability-related regulations to protect human, animal, and plant life or health, as well as to promote sustainable development and environmental conservation.  However, when  such trade measures are perceived as trade barriers having an adverse impact on trade, the Government proactively takes up  such  measures  with  concerned  countries  at  bilateral  and  multilateral  level,  as  may  be necessary,  for  remedial  action.   The  Government  has  strongly  taken  up  all  trade  restrictive measures, either within the WTO framework or otherwise, with the European Union (EU) and its member states at relevant multilateral and bilateral forums including at the India-EU Trade and Technology Council and the India-EU High Level Dialogue.

Government  has  also  engaged  with  the  European  Union  for  exchange  of  best  practices  and harmonisation of standards with objective of building India as a high-quality product market.

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