Par panel cautions govt against rushing into FTA with EU

As the India and the EU negotiate a free trade agreement, a Parliamentary panel today cautioned against its early signing and asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to wait for the committee's report before finalising it.
Chairman of the Department Related Parliamentary Committee on Commerce Shanta Kumar has written to Prime Minister today asking him not to rush through the EU-India Broad based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) before the panel gives its final report to Parliament.
The Chairman's letter came after members of the Committee, which met here today, expressed strong concerns over any move to sign the EU-India free trade agreement without taking note of the Committee's views.

The Committee is already studying the impact of the agreement after talking to all stakeholders and is likely to present its report soon.
"The Standing Committee has taken up the issue and all the members expressed their views today at the meeting that since the Committee is studying it and has received many representations that the pact be finalised only after discussion with all stakeholders and after taking the Parliament into confidence," Shanta Kumar told PTI.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Kumar said, "I urge you not to conclude the EU-India Broad based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) immediately and to kindly ensure that the Agreement is signed only after the Committee present/lay its Report on the subject to the Parliament."

Anand Sharma is scheduled to meet EU trade commissioner Karl De Gucht in Brussels on April 15 amidst expectations that the two sides may be able to iron out their differences, finally clearing the way for the signing of the FTA.
Opposing any move to finalise the agreement in a hurry, CPI(M) member in the Standing Committee K N Balagopal said it is "against the interest of India and also against the Parliament's Privilage.