| Date: |
30-07-2011 |
| Subject: |
Drug Dispute: India, EU Reach Settlement |
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Putting an end to uncertainty and suspense, India and the European Union (EU) have reached an ‘interim settlement' not to seize consignments of generic medicines originating from India and passing through Europe on suspicion of intellectual property right (IPR) violations.
“At last, the EU has come around and we have agreed on an interim settlement. It means the EU will not make any detention within its territory of pharmaceutical products coming from India,'' Additional Secretary, Commerce Ministry, Rajiv Kher, said here. However, India has decided not to withdraw its case against the EU in the World Trade Organization (WTO) filed in May, 2010. The case was filed after repeated detentions and seizures of Indian pharma products at European ports particularly the Netherlands. About 17 detentions took place between October and December, 2008, at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.
“The European Union will issue interim guidelines to its customs and all member countries advising them how to take the core principles of our understanding into the EU legislation,'' Mr. Rajiv Kher said.
Source : thehindu.com
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