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NEW DELHI: India accused the European Union on Wednesday of violating WTO norms by confiscating generic drugs made by Indian pharmaceutical companies, a report said.
The latest incident, which occurred on October 19, related to the seizure by French customs officials of copycat anti-clotting tablets made by a Mumbai firm, the Press Trust of India said.
Shipment of the drug, clopidogrel, was destined for Venezuela, the news agency said. The customs authorities who seized the tablets alleged patent infringement.
"It (the confiscation of drugs) is a violation of existing WTO norms when it comes to shipments meant for a third country destination that are seized," Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said, according to the news agency.
India mostly exports off-patent generic drugs in conformity with the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
"The consignment (of clopidogrel) was released on October 27 but such non-tariff barriers to our pharmaceutical exports are damaging our credibility as reliable and affordable suppliers," a Commerce Ministry official said.
EU authorities have made other seizures of Indian generic drugs citing patent issues.
This was the 18th time generic drugs meant for developing countries had been confiscated during transit within the EU, although the manufacture of the drug in India and sale in the destination country were legal, Indian officials said.
Sharma said India has taken up the issue "very strongly" with the EU and the two parties are trying to resolve the matter.
"We have been assured it will be resolved between Indian and the EU," he said.
Leaders of the India and the EU are to hold a summit here on Friday that will focus on pushing for a free trade pact.
India informed the TRIPS council, a key WTO panel, in Geneva last week that repeated seizures would hurt legitimate trade of generic medicines and universal access to medicines in developing nations. - AFP/de
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