Issue Date: Feb 15, 2011
After months of prevarication, the European Union has stated publicly that the free trade agreement (FTA) it signs with India will include provisions for data exclusivity because “it is extremely important for research and innovation’’. That’s what European Union ambassador Daniele Smadja told journalists in Delhi on January 21. Smadja’s statement confirms what the leaked documents have shown: that EU is seeking higher standards of intellectual property rights (IPRs) than mandated by the World Trade Organisation’s TRIPS agreement. In other words, TRIPS plus.