The European Union’s seizure of generic drugs could imperil the global response to epidemics such as swine flu, India’s commerce ministry said on Friday

Anand Sharma said his government had protested to Brussels about consignments of Indian drugs for a range of ailments, being “unfairly” stopped by customs in the EU. Authorities have held up shipments of Indian generic drugs, including consignments from Cipla, the Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company, on the grounds that they violated patents.