While issuing work permits can take time, delays are rarely appreciated by clients in the EU who sign time-bound contracts and expect timely delivery.

Yet, a majority of the respondents said that the EU is a very attractive market and they were planning to expand trade with it in the next two years either by way of exploring new markets within the EU, setting up distribution centres or tie-up with existing market players to have a wider reach in the existing and new markets.

The EU is a strategic trade and Investment partner for India. Commercial interaction between the two nations has grown exponentially since 2000 - with current annual trade being 52 billion euros approximately, growing by more than three times between 2000 and 2008.

But in spite the growing bilateral trade volume, industry is unanimous in its opinion that there still exists a discrepancy between what is projected as an open and uniform regime and what is experienced by Indian companies during their real life interaction with the EU, the industry body said.