11/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Free-trade agreement: Parliament repeats its demands. In a resolution adopted in plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday 11 May, the European Parliament (EP) regrets the slow progress in negotiations on an EU-India free-trade agreement, which it would like to see concluded by the end of the year. MEPs note that the overarching goal of the agreement should be full reciprocal duty elimination for all industrial goods, including sensitive sectors, such as passenger cars. Parliament also wants the agreement to include a chapter on investment, and advocates a compromise to allow essential generic medicines to continue to reach those in need, while also setting up a strong intellectual property rights regime to protect patents. The resolution also calls on the Commission to include legally-binding human rights, environmental and social clauses in the agreement. (E.H./transl.rt)