THE long-standing row between India and the European Union over confiscation of Indian generic drugs in transit to other countries at European airports has been temporarily resolved.
The EU recently consented to issue guidelines to Customs regulatory authorities in all of its 27 member-states, directing them not to carry out seizures merely on the basis of suspicion.
The European Commission has also brought out a draft proposing changes in the Customs regulations that would permanently take care of such seizures by placing it before the EU Parliament for clearance once some of the differences between the EU and India are sorted out.
Expressing satisfaction with the interim assurances given by the EU, which agreed with the core principal of India's argument that the detentions were inconsistent with obligations under the Trips agreement and that the GATT agreement was correct, Mr Rajiv Kher, Additional Secretary, Commerce, said it would get reflected in the changed legislation.
Source : Exim News Service - NEW DELHI, Aug. 2