Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) The 27-nation European Union (EU) Friday said it was expecting to firm up negotiations with India by April on a broad-based free trade area (FTA) agreement that will also cover the mobility of skilled professionals. The signing, however could take longer. The EU also underlined its plans to expand counter-terror cooperation with India.

“The main agreement is expected to be firmed up by April… But we do not expect the agreement to be signed then as we will need more time,” EU Ambassador Daniele Smadja told reporters here.

“We will have to wait till the next summit when the leaders may be able to initial the agreement,” she said.

India will host the next summit towards the end of the year.

The EU envoy underlined that the trade pact, which the two sides have been negotiating for over three years, will require a deft balancing of the interests of both sides in different sectors.

The envoy added the proposed FTA will cover temporary mobility of professionals and cross-border supply of services, areas of crucial interest to India.

Aspects related to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and protection of data will also form part of the FTA, Smadja said, explaining that anybody doing business would need to have “confidence that a regulator is going to take care”.

This is “extremely important for research and innovation”, she pointed out.

India is opposed to including provisions relating to child labour and environment in the FTA.

The envoy, however, explained that the EU was “not focussing ever” on child labour in the FTA specifically with regard to India.

The Indian side is “very well aware of our views and concerns on social and environment protection and EU is aware of constraints on the Indian side. So both are aware of what we can expect,” she said, adding the efforts would be made to make both the sides comfortable.

Smadja also welcomed India’s election as chair of the UN committee on counter-terrorism and stressed that there would be closer collaboration between security agencies of India and the EU in this area.