India ready to revive trade talks with the EU

India's Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharama stated on 23 March 2015 that his country was ready to negotiate with the European Union, in a move to resume talks over a free trade agreement between the two sides.

India and the EU have been negotiating a bilateral free trade and investment agreement (BTIA) since June 2007 and have missed several deadlines to conclude the talks, due to unresolved issues mostly related to market access. The deal aims to be a broad-based trade and investment agreement, which will cover over 95% of tariff lines.

Also in March 2015, the European Commission had concluded in a report that EU companies doing business in India still faced important market access barriers in the IT and electronics sectors.

• Primary Source

http://www.eeas.europa.eu/india/index_en.htm http://www.eeas.europa.eu/india/index_en.htm

EurActiv, 15.04.15: Merkel, Modi aim for free trade agreement between EU and India http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/merkel-modi-aim-free-trade-agreement-between-eu-and-india-313783

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