European Parliament resolution on EU-India relations: A Strategic Partnership (2004/2169(INI))
Date: 2005-09-29
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU relations, India, bilateral relations, cooperation policy, development policy, economic relations, environmental policy, human rights, international relations

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P6_TA(2005)0364

EU-India relations

European Parliament resolution on EU-India relations: A Strategic Partnership (2004/2169(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the document by the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security
Policy entitled ‘A secure Europe in a better world. European security strategy’ of 12 December 2003,

— having

regard to the Commission Communication on ‘an EU-India Strategic Partnership’
(COM(2004)0430) of 16 June 2004 and to India's reply to the communication in its strategy document
of August 2004,

— having regard to its recommendation to the Council on EU-India relations of 28 October 2004 (1), and

all its recent resolutions regarding India and its region,

— having regard to the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 11 October 2004 with regard to the

Commission Communication,

— having regard to the Fifth EU-India Summit held in The Hague on 8 November 2004,

— having regard to the Sixth EU-India Summit held in New Delhi on 7 September 2005,

— having regard to the joint press release published by the EU and India on 8 November 2004 at the end
of the above-mentioned Fifth Summit and the Joint Declaration on Cultural Relations of the same date
and the manifest intention of the EU and India to draw up an EU-India plan of action for a strategic
association and for a new Joint Political Declaration,

— having regard to the Action Plan for an EU-India Strategic Partnership and the new Joint Political

Declaration adopted at the above-mentioned Sixth Summit,

— having regard to the seven meetings of the EU-India Round Table, established as a result of the Agenda
drawn up in 2001 at the EU-India Summit in Lisbon, with the aim of bringing civil society in Europe
and India closer and establishing a network of EU-India research centres,

— having regard to the above-mentioned Conclusions of the Council of 11 October 2004 with reference

to the EU-India dialogue on human rights,

— having regard to the human rights awareness-raising activities and projects to promote good govern-
ance and local participation at town and village level in the decision-making process supported by the
European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), and other related projects,

— having regard to the visit to New Delhi by the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the
Countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
in
November 2004,

— having regard to the visit to India in January 2005 by the Commissioner responsible for trade, Peter
Mandelson, and in particular to the conference in Kolkata at which he spoke on ‘The Global Economic
Agenda: Europe and India's Challenge’,

— having regard to the G-20 meeting organised by India in February 2005 and its participation as an

observer at the last G-7 meeting,

— having regard to the Indo-US Parliamentary Forum held at the headquarters of the Federation of Indian

Chambers of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi in March 2005,

(1) OJ C 174 E, 14.7.2005, p. 179.

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— having regard to the visit to the region by the US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, in March 2005
and to that of the Prime Minister of China, Wen Jiabao, to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India in
April,

— having regard to the WTO Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

(TRIPS) and Public Health adopted on 14 November 2001,

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on

Development and the Committee on International Trade (A6-0256/2005),

A. whereas the EU and India constitute the biggest democracies in the world, and their shared commit-
ment to democracy, pluralism, the rule of law and multilateralism in international relations contributes
to global peace and stability,

B. whereas India and the EU share a common vision in which trade, investment and free competition
constitute key factors for economic development, and whereas both recognise that to promote such
development, socio-economic cohesion, environmental protection and consumer rights should be
ensured,

C. whereas the EU is the biggest trading partner and the biggest source of foreign direct investment in

India,

D. whereas the Congress Party, which won the elections in May 2004, received its electoral support from
the rural classes, which had considered themselves to be excluded from the benefits deriving from the
technological explosion in India,

E. whereas there is enormous linguistic, social and religious diversity in India, a country of paradoxes
with a population of 1 069 billion people, an open society facing the challenge of freeing 370 million
people from poverty, a world leader in the field of information technology but a country in which 550
million live off agriculture,

F. whereas 34,7 % of India's population are living below the poverty line, a quarter of these in urban
areas; whereas, therefore, EU poverty eradication programmes in India must continue in order to help
achieve the Millennium Development Goals,

G. whereas both the European Union and India are democratic and open societies,

H. whereas India has the second highest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia and whereas the

European Union is home to several million people of that religion and culture,

I. whereas the EU and India have the potential to build a privileged relationship in international relations,
but whereas there is in India a lack of awareness of the EU and its democratic system; highlighting the
potential of India as a partner of the EU in helping to encourage new and young democracies,

J. whereas India and Pakistan have engaged in a continuous dialogue since the beginning of 2004 in

order to put an end to some of the disputes facing them,

K. whereas, however, a new crisis may be brewing in Kashmir, and in the Indian states of Punjab and
Haryana and the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh, as a result of the growing water shortages
there, which could spark off a new and dangerous conflict,

L. whereas, in view of ever decreasing supplies, the global thirst for oil is a potential source of strategic

and political tensions,

M. whereas 70 % of the energy consumed in India is imported,

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N. whereas on 1 April 2005 the myriad of local taxes was replaced by a national value added tax, with
which it is hoped to raise tens of millions of dollars each year; whereas most, although not all, Indian
states have adopted this new law,

Thursday, 29 September 2005

Domestic situation

1. Welcomes the democratisation process in India and India's commitment to democracy in an interna-
tional context;

2. Declares its intention to contribute to a deepening of the relationship between the EU and India in
keeping with the above-mentioned Commission Communication, the conclusions of the above-mentioned
Fifth Summit and the above-mentioned European Parliament recommendation, as well as its continuing
desire to develop and strengthen bilateral relations;

3. Welcomes the adoption, at the above-mentioned Sixth Summit, of a joint action plan to implement
the EU-India strategic partnership, together with the joint political declaration, which takes relations
between the EU and India to a new, higher and more intensive level, in particular as regards international
peace and security, multilateralism, research, development, the environment, science, technology and
human rights; welcomes in particular the creation of the high level trade group for trade and investment;
considers that these agreements are a turning point in relations between the two economic powers and
should be implemented with the active participation and engagement of India;

Stresses the remarkable cultural, political and, now, economic importance of India which, in the past,

4.
was only inadequately reflected in contractual relations between India and Europe;

5. Warmly welcomes the agreement on a strategic partnership between the EU and India, which confers
on relations between the EU and India an importance equal to those with China, Russia, Japan, the USA
and Canada;

6. Considers it important, in view of the clear desire on the part of non-European governments and
public opinion to forge strategic alliances with India, for the Commission to make special efforts to raise
the European Union's profile in India and to promote awareness of its institutions, principles, values and
objectives;

7. Recognises that the desired mutual understanding between the EU and India will benefit from the
strengthening of the privileged relations which some Member States maintain with certain regions of India
for historical reasons, representing added value which favours proximity and genuine social, technical and
economic cooperation;

8. Highlights the need to set up EU-India associations in order to promote the study, appreciation, diffu-
sion and recovery of our shared linguistic, historical and cultural heritage;

Endorses all the objectives set out by the Commission in its Communication on an EU-India Strategic

9.
Partnership;

10. Considers, however, that the goals outlined in the ground-breaking strategic partnership, as presented
by the Commission, must be properly funded with new resources in order to be able to fulfil our commit-
ments and aspirations; asks that any additional resources needed to carry out the goals of the strategic part-
nership be not sourced from, but additional to, existing EU projects and programmes in India;

11. Appreciates and supports the fact that the strategic partnership places particular emphasis on poli-
tical dialogue; stresses, however,
that meeting the Millennium Development Goals and effectively
combating poverty should be important elements of the EU-India Strategic Partnership;

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12. Recognises that, in terms of human development indicators, India has made considerable progress
over recent decades and has changed to some extent from being a beneficiary to a donor of development
aid; voices its concern, however, at the persistently high number of Indians who still have to live in abso-
lute poverty and are deprived of all rights;

13. Calls on the Commission and the Council to work together with the Indian Government, as a matter
of urgency, to improve the situation of the underprivileged sections of the population,
in particular
women, children and disadvantaged groups of persons, e.g. Dalits and Adivasis and requests that any such
future action contribute to bringing to an end discrimination based on sex or caste, wherever it takes
place;

14. Welcomes the progress achieved at the above-mentioned Sixth Summit in the various areas covered
by the joint Plan of Action and in particular the inclusion of India in the European nuclear fusion project
International Experimental Fusion Reactor (ITER) and the progress achieved in the negotiations on India's
participation in the framework agreement on the Galileo navigation system;

15. Notes that bilateral relations between India and China are expanding, culminating in the summit
between the two nations held in New Delhi on 11 April 2005; welcomes the fact that, according to the
joint communiqué from that summit, ‘the leaders of the two countries have agreed to establish between
India and China a strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity’; welcomes the fact that a
solution is apparently being found to the frontier question between India and China; notes that an agree-
ment would contribute substantially to regional stability, enable both parties to spend less on defending
their borders and limit the scope for the tension between the two great Asiatic powers being exploited by
others;

16. Welcomes the fact that ‘cricket diplomacy’ led to the holding of a summit in New Delhi between the
Indian Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan on 17 April 2005; welcomes the fact that both parties
are making progress in consolidating confidence-building measures, through gradual bilateral normalisation
which could lead to a political settlement of the dispute in Kashmir; notes with satisfaction that the joint
Commission on Trade has been revived and notes that the two countries have agreed to promote the
project for building a gas pipeline from Iran to India, passing through Pakistani territory, which would
undoubtedly create positive ties between the parties;

17. Recognises the legitimate aspirations of the USA to establish a strategic alliance with India, but also
the need for a multipolar world, and is convinced of the significant advantages that European know-how
and sensibility may offer India; recommends, to this end, that the EU should progress quickly with the
consolidation of the strategic partnership between the EU and India; believes that new resources must be
made available to fulfil the goals of that strategic partnership;

18. Considers that, while systematic and structured dialogue between the two parties on economic and
trade matters is very important as part of the strategic partnership, the EU must pay special attention to
increasing and enhancing cooperation in the political and strategic fields, given the established belief
shared by the EU and India that the world can be made a safer place through international relations based
on multilateralism and respect for international law and for the philosophy, charter and resolutions of the
United Nations;

19. Urges the EU and India, in order to put into practice the multilateralism in international relations
which they both advocate, to set up a mutual consultation mechanism that would operate in advance of
international meetings or conferences, with the aim of proposing joint initiatives or adopting common
responses to the problems raised on those occasions;

20. Considers that, given that large swathes of Indian public opinion and the business community see
the EU not as an entity but rather as a 25-state conglomerate, the EU institutions should adopt a communi-
cations and visibility strategy that will help society and the authorities in India to gain a better under-
standing of the advances made towards union, including the progress of the common foreign and security
policy which the entry into force of the new European constitution could entail;

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21. Calls for the organisation of an annual Parliament Summit to run parallel or directly prior to the
annual EU-India Summit, which currently takes place without the formal involvement of the European
Parliament; considers that such a summit would be a way of developing links between Parliamentary
bodies and of enhancing understanding of the points of view and democratic systems on both sides;

22. Welcomes the fact that the new government of Manmohan Singh has taken important and positive
steps with regard to the necessary socio-economic reforms;

23. Welcomes the fact that democratic culture and development in India have attained very high stan-
dards, as shown by the proper functioning of coalition governments at federal and state level, and that this
is enabling progress to be made towards reform in the economic and social fields which would not other-
wise have been possible;

24. Considers nevertheless that, given the enormous complexity and diversity of India's social, economic
and political fabric, this will not fully guarantee that the process will not experience difficulties and fluctu-
ating fortunes;

25. Welcomes the release of 450 children between the ages of 6 and 14 who were working illegally in
Mumbai under conditions of slavery, secured by the police in June 2005, and the arrest of the 42 unscru-
pulous businessmen who were exploiting them; nevertheless, expresses its alarm at the UNICEF reports
according to which seventeen and a half million children (double that number according to some NGOs)
are working in India, mostly in subhuman conditions; commends the new approach seemingly adopted by
the Indian police and employment authorities of prosecuting exploiters and urges them to ensure that suffi-
cient resources and continuing political will are available to make it possible to eliminate this shameful
scourge on society;

Economic issues

26. Notes that the government is pushing for structural change in the economy and that it has made
insurance, energy, aviation, etc.);
progress in the deregulation of several sectors (mobile telephony,
improvements, tariff
welcomes the fact that the new government's first budget provides for structural
reductions and a lifting of restrictions on foreign ownership, and that it is moving forward with the privati-
sation of state enterprises;

27. Given that India and the EU share the view that trade, investment and free competition are key
factors in economic development, but also that, if such development is to be harmonious and equitable,
account must be taken of fundamental social needs which strengthen economic and social cohesion, the
environment and consumer rights, urges the Indian Government to pay heed to these matters as it
embarks on the vast task of development;

28. With this in view, and given this shared vision, urges the EU and India to jointly tackle aspects of
industrial, environmental and development cooperation, trade, investment and good governance policy
which are of common interest to both parties,

29. Urges the Indian private sector, which has benefited from the full confidence of the government and
is playing a key role in the economic measures and plans drawn up by the government essential to the
sustainable development of the country, to display the utmost social sensitivity when participating in these
plans;

30.
Takes note of the measures announced by the Indian Ministry for Trade and Industry to facilitate
exports, including the introduction of a single uniform application form, which could considerably reduce
the excessive amount of red tape existing at present;

31. Welcomes also the decision to cut waiting times at the country's congested ports which, together
with the financial measures for ports and other major infrastructure works contained in the national
budget approved in February 2005 on the initiative of the Minister for Finance, could bring about major
advantages for imports and exports;

32. Welcomes the fact that both the EU and India have decided to coordinate their actions on geogra-
phical indications (GI) and have agreed to hold seminars to map out a strategy in this area;

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Takes a positive view of the agreement reached at the above-mentioned Fifth Summit to facilitate
and develop further bilateral trade and investment, given that the volume of bilateral trade relations clearly
falls short of its potential; points out, however, that investment, in particular, needs to be increased and
that it is essential for India to open up its market more and carry out economic reforms aimed at further
dismantling of tariffs, tackling non-tariff restrictions and effectively protecting intellectual property rights;

34.
Believes that it is in the interests of the EU and India to work together towards a successful outcome
of negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), and that to this end both parties must seek as
close a convergence of views as possible on key DDA issues; considers that greater contact between
Members of the European and Indian Parliaments would be particularly useful;

35. Hopes that India will assume its key role in the current World Trade Organization (WTO) negotia-
tions and will actively contribute towards resolving the problems involved, particularly in the area of
market access for non-agricultural goods; in this context, calls on the EU and India to use the next three
months before the WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong to reflect and act decisively and make the case
for greater openness towards the other members of the WTO;

36. Recognises the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation, focusing on technical obstacles to trade and
sanitary issues, engaging in dialogue over the instruments of trade defence and, more generally, compliance
with WTO rules;

37. Calls for talks between the EU and India concerning investment to take account of the socio-political
responsibility of foreign investors in the host country; also stresses that the rights to be granted to firms
should go hand in hand with obligations and that investors in the host country should at least apply the
International Labour Organization's (ILO) core labour standards;

38. Welcomes the decision of the government in New Delhi to create special economic zones with the
aim of attracting foreign investment and urges India to review and update its legislation in this area and
take steps to prevent the exploitation of workers, safeguarding the rights and obligations of both employers
and workers;

39. Considers that the allocation of mobile communications frequencies is of crucial importance to the
EU since it has serious consequences for mobile telephony (GSM); calls on India to give due attention to
bringing mobile communications frequencies into line with the International Telecommunications Union
standards;

40. Calls on India to make a positive response to proposals such as that made by Malaysia, India's main
trading partner in ASEAN, to establish a free trade area, since proposals of this kind can contribute to the
stability, development and prosperity of the various peoples and states of the region;

41. Notes that in India a substantial and growing middle class is emerging, a group which not only could
be seen as a positive target for certain trade products, but also and above all is receptive to European
culture;

42. Urges the EU and India to give firm encouragement to the consolidation and continual updating of a
specific cultural cooperation programme as part of the planned strategic partnership; believes that this is
important, given the rich cultural diversity on both sides, and believes that awareness and dissemination of
the two cultures among Indian and European citizens will help to provide a more solid foundation for this
partnership;

43. Welcomes the recent signing by the Commission and the Indian Government of an agreement under
which the former is offering one thousand bursaries (worth 33 million Euro) to enable Indian students to
attend European universities under the Erasmus Mundus programme, which will undoubtedly contribute to
the objectives set out in the previous paragraph; notes that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations is
offering opportunities for European students to attend universities in India, but calls for greater interest to
be shown in this so as to make a more active contribution to consolidating the foundations of the strategic
partnership;

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44. Hopes that India, together with other beneficiary countries, will also answer the call by other devel-
oping countries to find solutions to the problems which will undoubtedly arise from the abolition of quan-
titative restrictions on textile and clothing imports, bearing in mind that India is expected to benefit parti-
cularly from this measure; equally hopes that India will abstain from any unfair trade practices towards the
EU industry, so that the EU in turn will not be forced to have recourse to the appropriate trade defence
instruments consistent with WTO rules;

Thursday, 29 September 2005

45. Notes that India already possesses immense geopolitical strength, which is based on economic
strength, particularly in the new technologies sector, and stresses that India should therefore be regarded as
an internationally recognised global player and that such status entails additional social responsibility for
India;

46.
Stresses the need also for the EU to assist India in combating poverty and in attaining its develop-
ment targets generally; also emphasises the need for the EU to cooperate with India over a wide range of
issues including development policy, governance, environmental sustainability and social and economic
cohesion;

Stresses, moreover, that the EU should consider it important to encourage and support India in
47.
regard to the implementation or continuing adoption of international
in particular
through the comprehensive ratification and practical application of the ILO Conventions and, in particular,
given the need to combat child labour, which continues to be a major problem in India today, the Conven-
tion concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (Minimum Age Convention (C138));

labour standards,

48. Welcomes the 1 800 million Euro Airbus deal, concluded during the EU-India Business Summit of 7
September 2005, which is a sign of developing bilateral relations and confirmed the success of the Euro-
pean consortium;

Development

Is seriously concerned at the spread of AIDS in the country, which could become an epidemic in the
49.
region unless it is firmly tackled, and calls on the Indian Government to declare a firm commitment to
tackling this problem as a priority, exchanging information and seeking to develop common strategies
with other countries affected;

50. Understands that the laws on intellectual property rights recently adopted by the Indian Parliament
may have adverse effects on the production capacity of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, which has
been a source of reliable and affordable medicines, particularly for AIDS, for many patients world-wide;
therefore strongly believes that the law should allow derogations for medicines which are of public interest,
such as those used to combat, inter alia, AIDS, cancer, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis; believes that
access to reliable and affordable medicines, in particular for AIDS, is critical; calls upon the Indian authori-
ties to ensure that international standards of animal welfare are applied in the use of live animals in scien-
tific experiments and that such experiments are minimised and alternatives found;

51.
Points out that half of the patients who take antiviral medicines in poor countries are using medica-
tion produced in India; calls on the EU to support India in further implementing its intellectual property
laws in a manner that will avoid barriers to the production, marketing and export of essential medicines
and, in so doing, create an environment that will continue to encourage and facilitate investment by the
Indian generic manufacturing industry in providing affordable essential medicines for developing countries;

52. Recalls that the WTO allows such derogations and that the Doha Declaration on TRIPS still applies,
which states that ‘the Agreement can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive
of WTO members' right to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all’;

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53.
Encourages the Commission and India to work together, on the basis of permanent and continuous
contacts, to push the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) forward to a final and successful conclusion bene-
fiting all parties concerned;

54. With this in view, believes that it should be possible for Indian and European negotiators to establish
direct and permanent links for addressing bilateral and multilateral topics; this will help to secure balanced
and mutually beneficial progress on the main points of the Doha Development Agenda;

55. Calls on the EU and India to study as soon as possible the possibilities for joint action in cooperative
development projects in third countries and to take the necessary steps to push these forward once their
feasibility has been confirmed;

56. Welcomes the fact that both parties have agreed to hold the first meeting of the EU-India Environ-
mental Forum in October/November 2005 and calls on the Commission to devote special attention to
those areas which are priorities for India, such as renewable energies, clean technologies and the treatment
of waste, and to provide all possible assistance;

57. Calls on the Indian Government to take firm and effective measures to prevent the occurrence of the
phenomenon of dumping in its trade with the EU;

Environment and agriculture

58.
Stresses that the increasing environmental destruction in India is a constantly growing problem,
particularly for the poor population, in terms of water pollution, land degradation, air pollution, climate
change and loss of biodiversity, and stresses the particular urgency of pressing ahead with EU cooperation
with India in this field;

59. Urges India, which has signed the Kyoto Protocol but which enjoys a temporary derogation from
certain commitments, to show greater sensitivity to the question of global warming, while pursuing its
development needs and objectives in a reasonable manner compatible with sustainable development;

60.
Is concerned at the alarming drop in the number of tigers to be found in the country's major nature
reserves and calls on the Indian authorities to step up their efforts to combat the corruption and incompe-
tence responsible for this decline;

61. Considers that the supervisory and control measures designed to protect this animal should be
stepped up, particularly in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar; with this in view, urges that
the recently established National Wildlife Crime Prevention Bureau be given the necessary resources to
enable it to operate effectively;

62. Calls on the Commission to concern itself with this matter and ensure the appropriate cooperation,
since tigers are not only significant for India's ecosystem and important for the country's tourist sector, but
can also be seen as part of mankind's heritage;

63. Calls on the Member States potentially able to cooperate in the field of civilian-use nuclear energy to
give due consideration to India's enormous and growing energy requirements and to take a decision on the
possibility of increasing cooperation with India in this area; also urges the Commission, the Member States
and India to increase cooperation in the field of renewable energies;

64.
Is concerned at the serious farming crisis which, according to various experts, could within a few
years have very serious consequences because of the dearth of water in various parts of the country, and
calls on the Council and the Commission to pay close attention to this question;

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65. Notes that, twenty years after the Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh, leaked toxic gases, killing more than 22 000 people and leaving tens of thousands more with
chronic and debilitating illnesses, the site has still not been cleaned up and toxic waste continues to pollute
the environment and groundwater; calls on the Indian authorities and Dow Chemicals to immediately
clean up the site and affected surroundings, provide a full remedy for the victims, and bring those respon-
sible to justice;

Thursday, 29 September 2005

66. Calls on the EU to apply the strategic partnership in such a way as to make a tangible difference on
the ground and to encourage people to engage in partnership across the globe so as to improve their
working customs and quality of life and to exchange ideas and best practice in all sectors, especially in
industry and agriculture;

67. Considers that more support should be given to cooperation in science and technology, one of the
principal objectives being to promote dialogue — at all levels — focusing on subjects of common interest
such as information technologies, space technology, biotechnology, electronic commerce and textiles;
points to the importance of expanding facilities for university contacts and exchanges;

Human rights

68.
Believes that the distinguishing feature of a true partnership is an open and honest dialogue on all
matters of mutual interest and, therefore, welcomes the fact that the strategic partnership provides for the
extension and institutionalisation of the human rights dialogue;

69. Welcomes the decision of the Indian Supreme Court to order the review of over two thousand
complaints closed by the police and approximately two hundred cases, which had ended in acquittals,
arising from the 2002 mass killing of two thousand Muslims in the State of Gujarat; congratulates the
Indian National Human Rights Commission on its independent and rigorous work regarding this and other
issues, such as discrimination based on castes and that suffered, inter alia, by Dalits and Adivasis, and
believes that the judicial and political authorities must be given sufficient time to conclude their work
without outside interference, which may prove counter-productive in the end; calls for cooperation with
human rights organisations in this process;

70. Welcomes the Nanavati Commission report and the Government's Action Taken Report on the
violence against Sikhs in 1984, and calls on the Government of India to fulfil its promises to hold the
perpetrators to account promptly and with earnest commitment;

71. With regard to discrimination and violence against women, urges the government to continue its
specific measures to effectively eliminate domestic violence and provide assistance for victims; calls also for
continuing efforts to be undertaken to promote the education of girls, thereby complying with Millennium
Development Goals 2 and 3;

72. Recognises that for centuries India has preserved a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural and
linguistically diverse society within its territory, offering an example to the West and to Europe, and calls
on the Indian Government to guard particularly against the emergence of inter-ethnic, inter-religious and
inter-cultural tensions among communities, which would jeopardise the country's secular heritage of toler-
ance and coexistence;

73. Aware of the new Government's proven will to modernise, urges it to press on resolutely with the
reform of the exceedingly slow and antiquated judicial system; points out that, on occasion, the slow
operation of the justice system or particular instances of malpractice or failure to act on the part of the
police, particularly as regards certain rape cases, lead to frustration among the population, prompting it to
take justice into its own hands; welcomes, nevertheless, the fact that this has generated a public debate on
these issues in particular and on the situation as regards the justice system in general;

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74. Calls on the New Delhi government to abolish the use of the death penalty in its judicial system;

75. Draws attention to the fact that India is one of the few democratic countries not to have ratified the
United Nations Convention Against Torture, which entered into force in 1987, and notes that said ratifica-
tion is a vital pre-requisite for the strengthening of relations between the EU and India; calls on it also to
ratify the conventions on the abolition of child labour and on the promotion of collective bargaining;

Stresses that the EU must urge India to comply fully with the recommendations of the Committee on

76.
the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;

77. Urges India to sign up to the International Criminal Court;

78. Calls on the Council and the Commission to enter into a dialogue with India on the ratification of
the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the abolition of the death penalty, the ratification in
particular of the conventions against torture and child labour together with the additional protocols to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms
of Discrimination Against Women;

International situation

79. Notes that the planned strategic association between Washington and New Delhi provides for the
sale of US aircraft and the sharing of space and civilian-use nuclear technology;

80. Recognises that India has played a major role in conflict prevention and peacekeeping, for example
in Afghanistan; takes notes of its reaction to the recent royal coup in Nepal and its aftermath; calls upon
India, as the largest member of the SAARC, to take a lead in developing SAARC regional cooperation
further;

81. Notes that the EU must encourage regional cooperation in southern Asia and also undertake a stra-
tegic rapprochement with a view to upgrading relations between the EU and the SAARC;

Takes note of the rapprochement between Iran, Pakistan and India, as a result of which consideration
82.
is being given to the building of a gas pipeline from Iran to India passing through Pakistani territory;
considers that support should be given to projects of this kind, which are essentially peaceful in nature,
benefit the peoples of the region and create a network of mutual interests deterring the prospect of conflict
between them, and encourage regional stability;

83. Welcomes the signs of progress in Indo-Pakistani bilateral talks on Kashmir and other mutual
displays of flexibility, such as the recently launched bus service between the two, Indian and Pakistani,
parts of the territory, and the visits by the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs to Pakistan and the President
of Pakistan to India;

84. Condemns the terrorist attacks perpetrated against the abovementioned bus service on the day of its
inauguration, 7 April 2005;

85. Welcomes the Indian Prime Minister's declaration, supported by the Pakistani President Musharraf,
that the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir should be regarded as a ‘Mountain of Peace’ and as a new symbol on
the path to full reconciliation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, and calls on the EU to support this
positive move in order to achieve, as soon as possible, a definitive agreement between the parties, including
on redeployment and withdrawal of military forces in the area;

21.9.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 227 E/599

Thursday, 29 September 2005

86. Calls upon the Council and the Commission to support India and its competent security services and
law enforcement authorities in their application to enjoy privileged partner status with Europol in order to
combat international terrorism and organised crime more effectively;

87. Urges India, together with Pakistan and Israel, to become parties to the Treaty on the Non-Prolifera-
tion of Nuclear Weapons, which is an irreplaceable multilateral instrument for maintaining and consoli-
dating international peace, security and stability and establishes a legal framework to prevent further prolif-
eration of nuclear weapons;

88. Urges the Government of India to accede to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stock-
piling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention);

89.
Expresses its profound sadness at the loss of life and property caused by the tsunami in December
2004 and congratulates the Indian Government for displaying such solidarity with its rapid response to the
disaster and, in particular, the Indian Navy which dispatched several units to the affected regions the very
next day; calls upon the Commission to ensure that India is included in its programme of post-tsunami
reconstruction;

90. Calls upon its Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament to consider, for the second half
of the parliamentary term, creating a specific European Parliament-India Inter-parliamentary delegation in
order to establish deeper links between the Parliaments of the two largest democracies in the world;

*

*

*

91.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
and parliaments of the Member States of the European Union, the Government and Parliament of India
and the governments and parliaments of the SAARC Member States.

P6_TA(2005)0365

Renewable energy in the EU

European Parliament resolution on the share of renewable energy in the EU and proposals for
concrete actions (2004/2153(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parlia-

ment on the share of renewable energy in the EU (COM(2004)0366),

— having regard to Directive 2001/77/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September
2001 on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal
electricity market (1),

— having regard to Directive 2003/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 May 2003
(‘the Biofuels

on the promotion of the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels for transport (2)
Directive’),

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission entitled ‘Energy for the future: Renewable

sources of energy — White Paper for a Community strategy and action plan’ (COM(1997)0599),

(1) OJ L 283, 27.10.2001, p. 33.
(2) OJ L 123, 17.5.2003, p. 42.