From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2009:
BRUSSELS, NEW DELHI–The government of
Indian prime minister Man-mohan Singh reportedly
objects to the inclusion of the phrase “animal
welfare” in the provisional edition of a recently
formalized protocol for negotiating a free trade
agreement between India and the European Union.
The European Parliament approved the
draft protocol for completing the EU-India Free
Trade Agreement on March 26, 2009, more than
five years after negotiations began with India in
November 2003.
The text that reportedly offends the
Singh government is scarcely provocative. Listed
tenth among 62 enumerated “General Issues,” the
sentence in question “Considers it important that
the Free Trade Agreement confirms the provisions
of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade
and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement;
calls on the Commission in this regard to address
outstanding issues such as animal welfare.”
This would appear to be consistent with
Article 51-A[g] of the Constitution of India,
authored by Jawaharal Nehru, the first prime
minister of India, which states that “It shall
be the fundamental duty of every citizen of India
to protect and improve the Natural Environment
including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife,
and to have compassion for all living creatures.”
However, reported the Financial Express
from New Delhi on April 15, 2009, “India has
opposed a reported move by the European Union to
include animal welfare issues in the World Trade
Organisation negotiations. Reacting to reports
of EU pitching for the inclusion of animal rights
in the WTO talks, official sources said these
were attempts by developed countries to block
exports from developing countries using these
standards.”
An unnamed Indian official told the
Financial Express, “These are non-tariff
barriers to curb exports,” which the official
projected would “throw many people out of jobs in
developing countries.”
Of most apparent concern to the Singh
cabinet are movement within the European
Parliament to strengthen standards for animal use
in laboratories and for livestock transport and
slaughter.
The European Parliament Agriculture
Committee on March 31, 2009 approved amended
rules governing animal experimentation which,
while much weaker than animal advocates had hoped
for, will be much stronger than a new Indian
regulatory regime introduced by the Singh
administration on March 5, 2009.
Explained online commentator Smita Joshi,
listed as information contact for Vivada
Chemicals PLtd., of Mumbai, “A proposal from
the department of pharmaceuticals now being
considered by Manmohan Singh seeks to make
comprehensive changes in the laws governing
research funding, drug discovery, clinical
trials, and approvals at different stages, so
that Indian drug makers can re-orient themselves
from being successful copiers of costly
multinational brands to owners of scientific
breakthroughs.

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