European Union anti-dumping actions against Indian products are a major concern for New Delhi, which feels they are neither rational nor fair, India's trade minister said Wednesday.

Mounting stringency of standards, cumbersome and complex rules and procedures and frequent use of trade defence instruments were emerging as serious barriers to enhanced economic cooperation, Kamal Nath said.

"A disproportionately large number of products in textiles, electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies and steel sectors face such

actions," Nath told an India-EU business conference which was also addressed by EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

The European Union is India's largest trading partner and India-EU bilateral trade last year stood at $35 billion.

But Nath said Indian entrepreneurs were finding it increasingly hard to penetrate markets in developed countries.

"Indian trade and industry circles feel that while India has liberalised and markets have been opened up offering new vistas to global trade and industry, reciprocal benefits have not flowed from the developed world to us," he said.

India's exports of marine products were hindered by restrictions and standards enforced in the EU, he added.

"Not all such standards are in conformity with the international ones and are often based on excessive precaution and perceived rather than real risk."

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said non-tariff barriers should be removed for more EU-India trade.

"As tariff barriers disintegrate, non-tariff barriers suddenly come up," said Singh. "We need to address any such issues that exist, so that our trade with you (EU) can rise from less than 2 percent of your trade to a more healthy level."