This briefing is a review of the Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment (TSIA) of the Free Trade Agreement currently under negotiation between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of India (EU-India FTA).

In June 2007, negotiations for a broad-based bilateral trade and investment agreement between the EU and India were launched. Since then, seven full rounds of negotiations took place; nonetheless a conclusion of the negotiations cannot be expected before 2010. The eighth round of negotiations is likely to be held in October 2008 in India.

During the course of these trade negotiations, the European Commission commissioned ECORYS, an external consultancy company based in the Netherlands, to conduct a Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment (TSIA). The final report -a joint study by ECORYS Netherlands, CUTS, India and CENTAD, India- was published on 18 May 2009.

A critical review of the Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment for the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the Republic of India from a gender perspective

Written by Barbara Specht

WIDE gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Heinrich Böll Foundation for the production of this publication. The views expressed herein are those of the author and can therefore in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Copyright © September 2009 WIDE

Any parts of this publication may be reproduced without the permission for educational and non-profit purposes if the source is acknowledged. WIDE would appreciate a copy of the text in which document is used or cited.

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