The Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) is organizing a delegation to the Roundtable Meeting on pharmaceutical industry being organised by the Europe India Chamber of Commerce (EICC), in association with Indian Embassy at Belgium on September 21 and 22 at Brussels, Belgium. The delegation is expected to be led by a senior official of the union ministry of commerce.

Pharmexcil executive director Dr. P V Appaji said that this will be a good opportunity for the Indian pharma exporters to showcase the strengths of the Indian pharma industry to the European market. There are 26 countries in the European Union and the meeting with higher officials of European Commission would be highly useful to the exporters. The European market accounts for 30.7 per cent of total India's exports. India's pharma exports to European region were to the tune of US$ 1693.04 millions for 2006-07.

The meeting will prove to be very useful to the exporters as about 30 companies from various European countries are participating in the meeting where senior officials of European Commission and Members of European Parliament are expected to be present. Key issues which will be discussed in the meeting include R&D, drug developments, tariff structure, IPR, pricing, regulatory reforms, import duties, infrastructure, etc. One-to-one meetings between Indian and European pharma companies will also be organised during the occasion.

Besides, the meeting can be an excellent forum for the Indian pharma industry to strongly present the strengths and to refute the propaganda being made against Indian pharma industry, Appaji said.