EU hopes to resume FTA talks with India
13 Sept 2017 11:09 PM IST
Brussels: The European Union is looking at a bilateral summit with India next month that would act as a catalyst for resumption of talks on the free trade agreement encompassing goods, services and mutual investment protection, according to a senior EU official.
Talks on the Bilateral Trade Investment Agreement (BTIA) - the official title of the pact -- started in 2007 but have been marred by various flip-flops and disagreements.
The discussions have remained deadlocked on issues like tariffs on automobiles and wines and spirits, EU trade officials said. They hoped that the 14th EU-India Summit, likely in early October "will get the economic dialogue going as a precursor to relaunching talks on FTA".
The last summit on March 30, 2016, saw discussions focused on trade and investment, energy and climate, water, migration and foreign and security policy.
"Unfortunately, Indian policy has created major uncertainties for us because your government has taken policy decision to let bilateral investment treaties, which gave very clear rules, lapse," said a senior EU official, who did not want to be named.
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