EU and India Resolve Dispute Over Generic Drugs

Trade negotiators from the European Union and India said Friday they have resolved a dispute about generic drugs that was referred to the World Trade Organization last year. "This is a great breakthrough which will of course lead to a suspension of WTO proceedings. So the dispute is over," said Anand Sharma, India's trade and industry minister. In 2009, India and Brazil brought the matter before WTO; they charged that the EU was wrongly stopping and inspecting generic drugs shipments. The agreement settles the dispute between the EU and India, though it must be ratified by the EU parliament; a deal must still be negotiated with Brazil. "I reconfirmed we are going to amend present regulation so as to put into practice what has been agreed," said Karel De Gucht, the EU's trade chief. "[Generic drug] transports in transit will no longer be checked, except for counterfeiting."

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