Videos from the EU-India Free Trade Agreement Briefing meeting with European and Indian Parliamentarians
The Indian government has signed, is set to sign or is negotiating close to 30 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including a few with developed countries like the European Union, the European Free Trade Association and Japan. The EU-India FTA, proposed to be signed by the end of this year, binds India into irreversible commitments in multiple areas like trade in agriculture, industrial goods and services, foreign investment regulations, intellectual property rights, and government purchases.
Many of the FTA commitments go beyond those taken by India in the World Trade Organisation. The commitments impose heavy obligations on India and have the ability to significantly restrict the country’s regulatory space as well as impact livelihoods, incomes, other social and economic conditions, including access to food and health within the country.
Further, such agreements are being signed in secrecy, without adequate consultation with stakeholders including farmers, indigenous communities, small industries and businesses, women’s groups, food right groups, retailers and even with national parliaments or with state governments. Not only is this undemocratic, but it violates the Federal Structure of the Indian State.
In this context, the Forum against FTAs organised a briefing meeting to raise concerns and interact with Communist Party of India Member of Parliament, D. Raja and Green Party Member of the European Parliament, Ms Franziska Keller. We have made a set of 8 clips that give an account of the issues raised during the briefing meeting.
Briefing meeting on EU-India FTA with D. Raja, Member of Parliament, India & Franziska Keller, Member of European Parliament by the Forum against FTAs 13th November, 2010, Constitution Club, New Delhi
EU India FTA Briefing: The Context, Part 1
EU India FTA Briefing: The Role of Parliament, Part 2
EU India FTA Briefing: Democracy and Transparency, Part 3
EU India FTA Briefing: Impact on Agriculture, Part 4
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