EU trade boss coming next week to settle drug seizure tussle

NEW DELHI: EU director general for trade David O’ Sullivan will come to India next week to resolve the long-standing dispute over seizure of Indian drugs at European ports.

The two sides will discuss the details of EU’s latest proposal to put a stop to irregular confiscation of drugs by customs authorities in someEuropeancountriessuchastheNetherlands and France and how the EU proposes to enforce it, a commerce department official said.

“India is already studying EU’s latest proposal on checking confiscation of consignments . Mr O’ Sullivan is expected to explain how exactly the EU will ensure that it is implemented by custom officials in all European countries,” he said, requesting anonymity .

Mr O’Sullivan , in his meeting with commerce secretary Rahul Khullar on November 24, is also expected to finalise the common stand on the proposed bilateral comprehensive trade and investment pact at the India-EU summit next month.

The agreement is nowhere near completion and would not meet the summit deadline as was earlier hoped.

India has approached the World Trade Organisation ( WTO) to initiate discussions with the EU on the issue of seizures earlier this year, but has not yet called for setting up of a dispute settlement panel.

“The EU realises that we are running out of patience and now seems to be serious in its efforts to bring the confusion to an end,” the official said.

India wants to ensure whatever instructions the EU plans to give to customs authorities in its 27 member states to stop such seizures , it should be enforceable by law. “If instructions are not backed by law, they are of no use,” the official said.

Customs authorities in the Netherlands and France started confiscating consignments en route to destinations in Latin America and Africa early last year, after complaints from pharma producers holding patents to those medicines in Europe.