JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Elements for an EU strategy on India
Date: 2018-11-20
Institutions: European Commission, European External Action Service
Subjects: EU strategy, India, climate change policy, cooperation in the field of education, economic reform, environmental cooperation, international security, modernisation of industry, sustainable development, trade cooperation

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 20.11.2018 JOIN(2018) 28 final  JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Elements for an EU strategy on India  
 
 
Elements for an EU strategy on India 

A partnership for sustainable modernisation and the rules-based global order  

INTRODUCTION 

The European Union (EU) and India entered into a strategic partnership in 2004. Over the years, their 
commonalities have grown. In a challenging regional and international environment, the EU and India 
share  the  values  of  democracy,  human  rights,  fundamental  freedoms  and  support  the  rules-based 
global order centred on multilateralism. Both represent ‘unions of diversity’ and have important stakes 
in each other’s prosperity and sustainable development.  

India  is  maintaining  consistent  economic  growth,  strong  demographic  dynamism  and  an  ambitious 
drive  for  modernisation.  India  is  engaging  on  global  issues,  promoting  its  soft  power  and  building 
diverse  partnerships.  The  EU  is  the  world’s  most  developed  regional  integration  project  and  a 
stabilising, normative power. It has consolidated its single market, its foreign and security policy and 
has made major steps in its common European defence policy1. 
The EU has, in recent years, underpinned its role as an important economic and political actor in Asia, 
developing  rich  bilateral  relations  with  strategic  partners,  Central,  East,  South  and  Southeast  Asian 
countries,  and  with  the  Association  of  Southeast  Asian  Nations  (ASEAN). The  EU  is  proactively 
developing  its  own strategy  “Connecting  Europe  and  Asia”  and  stepping  up  its  security  policy 
engagement  in  the  region,  while  maintaining  a  strong  regional  approach  within  the  Asia-Europe 
Meeting (ASEM).  

In this context, the EU has an interest in strengthening its political and economic ties, as well as security 
and defence policy cooperation with India, a heavyweight on the Asian continent and an emerging global 
power. A strong partnership with India is key for a balanced EU policy towards Asia as a whole. 

A  strong  partnership  with  India  is  desirable  to  jointly  contribute  to  preserve  peace  and  stability, 
promote  prosperity  and  sustainable  development,  and  strengthen  the  rules-based  order.  Intensified 
political dialogue and regular exchanges of views ahead of major international gatherings should be 
sought to build a stronger common understanding, contributing to reducing divergences and enhancing 
common action.  

The  EU  and  India  represent  a  population  of  close  to  two  billion  people,  a  considerable  reservoir  of 
economic growth and a huge potential to influence positively the course of human development. The 
EU aims to strengthen the strategic partnership with India so that it can live up to such an ambition. 

This  Joint  Communication  proposes  elements  for  an  EU  Strategy  covering  the  next  10-15  years, 
building  on 
the 
recommendations of the European Parliament in its 2017 resolution on political relations with India. 

the  last  Commission  Communication  on  India2  of  2004,  and  reflecting 

This Joint Communication proposes to: 

  Reinforce the EU-India strategic partnership.  

  Build a strong partnership for sustainable modernisation. 

 

Join forces to consolidate the rules-based global order, based on multilateralism with the UN 
and the WTO at its core. 

  Develop a shared approach at the multilateral level to address global challenges. 

  Seek common responses to security threats and regional issues. 

1 On the basis of its 2016 Global strategy. 
2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52004DC0430&from=EN 

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The India context 

India is one of the world's largest economies, with China, the EU and the US, in terms of purchasing 
power  parity.  The  country  is  the  fastest-growing  large  economy,  with  annual  GDP  growth  rates  of 
around 7%, and on its way to reach the $US 7.8 trillion3 economy mark by 2030. It is an important 
player in global economic governance. In 2017, the EU was India’s first trading partner, while India 
was the EU’s ninth largest trading partner. 

India will become the most populous country in the world, surpassing China in the next decade. It 
is  already  the  world’s  biggest  democracy.  50%  of  all  Indians  are  under  the  age  of  25.  This 
demographic dividend could add about two percentage points yearly to India’s per capita GDP growth 
over  the  next  two  decades4.  67%  of  the  population  lives  in  rural  areas5,  but  the  projected  rate  of 
urbanisation is set to double in the next decade. 

India is facing significant challenges to unlock its economic and demographic potential, notably 
there is a need to bring 270 million people out of extreme poverty;  build adequate infrastructure and 
connectivity;  ensure  access  to  education  and  health  across  the  country;  and  deal  with  increasing 
income inequality. With 93% of the workforce in the informal economy, the tax base is narrow. Job 
creation is another challenge, given the 12 million people estimated to enter the workforce every year. 

India is currently the world’s fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, although this stands for 
only a tenth of the US per capita CO2 emissions. Its energy needs will more than double in the next 20 
years. The country is highly vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather, such as heat waves, 
droughts and floods. This exacerbates development challenges and affects disproportionately the poor 
and vulnerable groups. The impact of economic and demographic growth on the environment is 
high.  Particular  challenges  include  resource  depletion,  in  particular  water  scarcity,  air  and  water 
pollution and waste management. 

India is modernising, and has set ambitious objectives to: reduce poverty and spread the benefits of 
economic  growth;  answer  to  the  needs  of  its  aspiring  middle-class;  boost  production  capacity  and 
productivity  through  domestic  and  foreign  investments  and  transfer  of  technologies;  achieve 
sustainable  urbanisation;  modernise  agriculture;  digitalise  the  economy;  improve  water  management 
and resource efficiency; develop qualified human resources; and nurture innovation and start-ups.  

India occupies an important place in a complex geo-strategic space. Situated at the centre of key 
Europe-Asian  trade  routes,  and  a  factor  of  stability  in  a  complex  region,  India’s  diplomatic  and 
security posture towards its neighbours and major regional powers have important consequences for 
the EU.  India’s traditional relations with developing countries are also a potential source of strength 
in addressing the sustainable development goals. 

1.  PROSPERITY  THROUGH  SUSTAINABLE MODERNISATION 

An  enhanced  EU-India  partnership  on  sustainable  modernisation  should  contribute  to  deepening  the 
existing  relationship  and  foster  investment  and  trade,  while  accelerating  India’s  move  up  the  value 
chain; its research and technological development; resource efficiency and green growth, expansion of 
the tax base; and fostering of entrepreneurship. India’s internal policies and priorities will have a huge 
impact  on  international  action  on  climate  change;  global  energy  security;  resource  efficiency;  2030 
Agenda  implementation;  environmental  challenges;  disaster  risk  reduction;  ocean  governance, 
including  sustainable  fisheries  and  blue  economy;  and  the  protection  of  global  common  goods.  The 
EU  should  project  its  dynamic  bilateral  cooperation  on  modernisation  to  the  global  stage,  thereby 
engaging more actively with India on these issues to secure an effective global approach. 

1.1.   Consolidating the modernisation partnership 

The EU is a natural partner in supporting India’s aim to grow in a sustainable manner; access green 
technology  and  digital  solutions;  achieve  resource  efficiency;  implement  regulatory  models  and 

3 According to PwC forecast World in 2050. 
4 According to the International Monetary Fund. 
5 In 2016, according to the World Bank. 

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legislative  frameworks;  and  harmonise  standards.  EU-India  cooperation  will  contribute  to  reducing 
resource pressure and pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience to climate change. 
A strong modernisation partnership between the EU and India should also support the EU’s own job 
creation, growth and investment objectives, and help promote sustainable connectivity for Europe and 
Asia, in line with the EU’s connectivity strategy.  

India has to deal with complex challenges on a massive scale. The demographic dividend could turn 
India  into  a  global  growth  engine,  provided  that  the  country  can  foster  education,  research  and 
innovation,  entrepreneurship  and  skills  and  increase  employability.  Improving  women’s  and 
young  people’s  participation  in  the  economy  would  also  tap  into  economic  growth  and  help 
strengthen gender equality6.  

India  is  seeking  to  establish  itself  as  a  manufacturing  hub,  notably  by  attracting  foreign  direct 
investment. Labour market rigidities and India’s low positioning in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing 
Business Report are constraining factors. EU companies have so far contributed to the creation of over 
six million jobs in India. With the improvement of business environment, this number should increase.  

Important  macroeconomic  reforms  have  been  recently  introduced  by  India,  particularly  with  the 
Goods and Services Tax and the shift to an inflation targeting regime. Given similarities in the multi-
level  governance  systems  of  the  EU  and  India,  both  sides  could  benefit  from  more  intensive  policy 
dialogue and exchange of expertise on designing economic policies in a number of areas, such as fiscal 
rules  and  frameworks,  taxation,  competition  policy,  monetary  policy  frameworks,  and  structural 
reforms, including in the banking sector. Bilateral exchanges should facilitate knowledge sharing on 
the  reform  processes,  enhance  understanding  of  macroeconomic  developments,  and  generate  more 
effective cooperation in the G20. 

India  has  identified  underdeveloped  infrastructure  as  a  major  obstacle.  The  transport  and  energy 
sectors need considerable investment, as well as do the digital networks. The EU’s construction sector 
already contributes to India’s inter-connectivity, smart urban infrastructure, and energy efficiency. The 
EU should engage India more on maritime transport and infrastructure, aviation, rail and road safety, 
digital  connectivity  and  contribute  to  creating  better  conditions  in  terms  of  standards,  skills  and 
competences. The EU should continue to support the development of sustainable and climate resilient 
infrastructure, as it does via blending facilities and the European Investment Bank, as well as of better 
urban and rural mobility through metro-rail seamless interconnection. 

India’s  energy  mix  is  currently  dominated  by  coal  (50%  of  primary  energy  consumption),  but  the 
country has started implementing one of the world’s largest clean energy transition programmes using 
its  renewable  energy  potential.  EU-India  cooperation  can  help  to  deliver  reliable,  sustainable  and 
affordable  energy  systems,  while  at  the  same  time  contributing  to  the  growth  of  the  EU's  energy 
technologies  sector.  The  EU  will  further  engage  with  India  on  energy  security,  energy  efficiency, 
renewable energy sources, including solar and offshore wind, smart grids and off grid systems, as well 
as on policies to develop an electricity system which can reliably integrate large shares of renewable 
energy.  

The  EU-India  clean  energy  and  climate  partnership  promotes  policy  and  regulatory  approaches, 
business solutions and green technology in order to enable the energy transition and address climate 
change by increasing resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A joint long-term approach to 
climate  action  should  link  innovation  support  with  market-uptake  incentives  and  other  support 
measures, identify and exploit synergies between climate action and related issues such as air pollution 
and  the  water-energy  nexus,  and  should  seek  to  integrate  adaptation  to  climate  change  into  disaster 
risk management and development planning. 

The EU’s experience in tackling environmental issues and its cutting-edge technology are of high value 
in providing sustainable solutions, as proven by the EU-India water and resource efficiency partnerships. 
Cooperation  should  be  intensified  to  support  India’s  transition  to  a  resource  efficient  and  circular 
economy, waste management and integrated water resources management policies, as well as to address 

6 Participation of women in the workforce is only 13.9% in the urban sector and 29.9% in the rural sector. Over 30% of youth 
aged 15-29 in India are not in employment, education or training. 

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air  and  water  pollution  and  to  find  innovative  solutions  to  tackling  plastic  and  marine  litter.  The 
convergence of the EU’s and India’s policies and the implementation of environmental legislation should 
be the overall goal in order to foster green economic growth, job creation and open opportunities for EU 
public and private sector operators. 

The  EU  is  committed  to  strengthening  international  ocean  governance,  including  on  sustainable 
fisheries, and India is an important actor in the Indian Ocean. The EU aims to enhance cooperation with 
India  on  fisheries  at  bilateral,  regional  and  multilateral  levels,  particularly  in  the  context  of  Regional 
Fisheries  Management  Organisations,  to  ensure  sustainable  management  and  use  of  living  marine 
resources. Furthermore, the EU will engage with India in promoting the development of a sustainable 
blue economy, including sustainable aquaculture and the exchange of best practice on maritime spatial 
planning and integrated coastal zone management. 

India’s rapid urbanisation and the associated challenges related to the environment, water, air quality, 
waste and wastewater management, transport, disaster risk reduction and sustainable energy systems 
make  urban  development  a  particularly  important  area  for  cooperation  with  the  EU.  Deepening  the 
EU-India  partnership  on  smart  and  sustainable  urban  development,  particularly  on  urban  mobility, 
sanitation and sustainable cooling technologies, will bring important benefits in facilitating access to 
cost-effective  and  affordable  technological  solutions,  policies  and  practices.  Strengthening  the 
partnership  on  local-level  climate  and  energy  action,  including  through  building  on  the  successful 
experience so far of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in India, will help address 
both the challenges of rapid urbanisation and of climate change. 

The  EU  should  engage  more  with  India  on  the  development  of  rural  communities,  aiming  to 
promote sustainable, affordable and climate-smart agricultural practices, formalise the economy, grow 
India’s tax base and improve the people’s lives. The EU should support the integration of remote, rural 
areas in the marketplace through projects aimed at developing e-commerce platforms, and increasing 
IT literacy and confidence amongst entrepreneurs. This would foster the growth of the local economy 
and should help avoid a continued over-population of India’s megacities. 

Digitalisation is transforming radically economy and society. It is an opportunity to develop inclusive 
economic and social models based on human rights and gender equality. Both the EU and India are 
supporting the digital economy and applying digital solutions for governance and social development. 
Increased exchanges, including on the regulatory framework for implementing these solutions, should 
aim at facilitating data flows while ensuring a high level of protection of personal data. 

Together  with  digitalisation,  automatisation  represents  a  driver  for  new  business  opportunities  for 
both  EU  and  Indian  operators.  Cooperation  should  be  further  developed  and  approached  from  the 
perspective of benefiting labour markets, raising labour productivity7. 

The EU should continue to engage with India on aligning with international standards. For instance in the 
automotive sector and road safety, on emerging technologies, including 5 G, Internet of things, intelligent 
transport systems, future networks and telecom security,  statistical standards as well as on more traditional 
sectors. 

The  EU  recognises  privacy  as  a  fundamental  right  and  India  is  also  moving  in  this  direction.  The 
adoption of a comprehensive data protection law by India would not only serve India’s people, but also 
significantly  facilitate  bilateral  data  flows,  including  by  providing  the  basis  for  a  possible  adequacy 
finding by the European Commission. This would benefit investment, trade and security cooperation. 

In public health, the EU should continue to positively engage with India on reforming its legislative 
framework  and  building  regulatory  capacity,  to  converge  with  international  practices  and  standards. 
Cooperation  should  be  strengthened  to  ensure  high  quality  standards  of  pharmaceuticals,  medical 
devices  and  cosmetics,  as  well  as  food  safety,  and  to  combat  antimicrobial  resistance,  benefiting 
consumers.  

7 The Asian Development Bank report: ‘Asian Development Outlook 2018: How Technology Affects Jobs’ concluded that, 
in  Asia,  automatization  is  benefiting  labour  markets,  rather  than  disrupt  them:  https://www.adb.org/publications/asian-
development-outlook-2018-how-technology-affects-jobs. 

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Research  and  innovation  cooperation  addressing  shared  societal  challenges  will  be  crucial  to 
support  India’s  sustainable  modernisation,  open  new  business  opportunities  and  increase  the  EU’s 
scientific  excellence  and  competitiveness.  Cooperation  through  EU  research  and  innovation  funding 
programmes, such as the research framework programmes (currently Horizon 2020, and, from 2021, 
Horizon Europe) and Euratom offer valuable opportunities. The EU will continue to work closely with 
India on nuclear fusion, in particular to ensure the effective implementation of the international ITER 
project.  Cooperation  on  water,  greening  transport,  clean  energy,  circular  economy,  bio-economy, 
health  and  ICT  should  be  expanded.  Additional  areas,  such  as  climate  change,  sustainable  urban 
development,  manufacturing,  advanced  materials,  nanotechnologies  and  biotechnology,  and 
processing food and ocean research should also be considered. 

Proposed actions: 

  Engage  at  a  strategic  level  with  relevant  Indian  Ministries  and  institutions  on  India’s 

modernisation agenda (e.g. the National Institute for Transforming India). 

  Support  India’s  sustainable  modernisation  through  technical  expertise  and  through  the 
mobilisation  of  resources  at  EU  level,  continued  cooperation  with  the  European  Investment 
Bank; public and private investment resources; and blending facilities including the participation 
of EU Member States. Work towards better coordination and synergies with European financial 
institutions and multilateral development banks, including the Asian Development Bank and the 
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. 

  Accompany the economic reform process in India and engage in exchanges on macroeconomic 
trends  through  the  development  of  closer  bilateral  ties,  also  via  a  regular  macroeconomic 
dialogue. 

  Organize technical and strategic exchanges to address transportation issues of mutual interest 
and contribute to investment and cooperation opportunities, including in civil aviation, maritime 
transport, railways, as well as road and urban transport, including road safety.  

  Continue  the  implementation  of  the  EU-India  clean  energy  and  climate  partnership  through 
regular exchanges, and use it as a platform to coordinate multilateral and bilateral approaches 
to  climate  change  and  energy  security.  Support  a  clean  energy  transition,  through 
contribution  to  India’s  flagship  initiatives  on  offshore  wind,  solar  power,  smart  grids,  energy 
efficiency,  energy  access  and  affordability.  Support  the  development  and  implementation  of 
climate and energy action at the local level, including in the framework of the Global Covenant 
of Mayors for Climate and Energy in India. 

  Strengthen cooperation at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels to  promote sustainable use 

and management of living marine resources. 

  Encourage city pairing initiatives, and share experiences in urban governance and sustainable 

urban planning. 

  Foster  multi-stakeholder  policy  dialogues  with  authorities  at  Union,  state  and  city  level, 
industry,  micro,  small  and  medium  enterprises  (SMEs),  and  civil  society,  in  areas  of  strategic 
relevance to both sides. 

  Promote sustainable  production  and  consumption  as well  as  integration of  environmental 
concerns  and  solutions  into  economic  growth  policies.  Support  transition  to  a  resource 
efficient  circular  economy  and  green  businesses,  particularly  through  partnerships  including 
between SMEs. 

  Promote  common  approaches  and  standards  to  the  digital  transformation,  promote  data 
protection  values  and  facilitate  data  flows  by  supporting  India’s  efforts  to  develop  its 
legislation with a view towards adopting a data adequacy decision by the European Commission. 

  Develop  joint  action  plans  in  areas  of  cooperation  such  as  future  networks  and  emerging 
technologies,  promoting  R&D  and  i nnovation,  network  security,  spectrum  management, 

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enhanced  capacity development  as well as  policy  and  regulatory  requirements among others. 

  Strengthen  cooperation  and  support  India’s  regulatory  capacity  building  and  alignment  to 
international standards and practices, notably relative to pharmaceuticals and medical devices. 

  Promote joint research and innovation initiatives in support of sustainable modernisation. Set 
up  a  European  Innovation  Centre  to  promote  European  science,  technology  and  innovation 
interests in India. 

1.2.   Closer coordination on global challenges 

Together  with  the  EU,  India  has  demonstrated  strong  political  engagement  in  climate  change 
negotiations for the Paris Agreement. Both sides are fully committed to its implementation and have 
enhanced cooperation in multilateral fora. To support the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the 
EU will seek closer cooperation on climate change mitigation and adaptation and mutual learning to 
inform the development of the long-term strategies to be submitted under the Agreement.  Similarly, 
cooperation is essential for developing an ambitious post 2020 global framework on biodiversity. 

As  energy  demand  grows,  India’s  ties  with  the  international  energy  system  will  deepen,  as  will  its 
stake in global energy security. Closer coordination will be needed at multilateral level  to accelerate 
the global clean energy transition, build sustainable, affordable, reliable and modern energy services, 
and to find responses to geopolitical challenges generated by this ongoing transition. 
The EU and its Member States are the world’s leading donors of development assistance8. India is an 
important development player in its own region and beyond and its development assistance has risen 
sharply since the start of the decade. The EU’s relationship with India on development is changing to a 
partnership  between  development  actors.  Together,  India  and  the  EU  can  effectively  tackle  global 
challenges, including the Sustainable Development Goals, which India has played an important role in 
shaping.  The  EU  will  seek  to  strengthen  its  engagement  with  India  based  on  mutual  priorities, 
including through facilitating sustainable investment, cooperation in promoting and implementing the 
2030 Agenda, triangular cooperation and South-South modalities. 

The EU and India are key actors in using space for research and development, earth observation, outer 
space  surveillance,  communication  and  satellite  navigation.  Closer  cooperation  on  transparency  and 
confidence building measures in outer space, as well as on space security and safety and space debris 
mitigation should be developed. 

India  and  the  EU  should  also  step  up  their  research and  innovation  cooperation  within  international 
fora such as Mission Innovation, the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases or the Belmont Forum to 
jointly address global challenges. 

Proposed actions: 

  Step-up  coordination  with  India  at  multilateral  level  to  strengthen  global action  on  climate 
change,  including  the  implementation  of  the  Montreal  Protocol,  on  the  environment  and  clean 
energy, supported by enhanced cooperation in international fora on research and innovation. 

  Support  the  implementation  of  the  Paris  Agreement,  share  knowledge  on  modelling  and  the 
development  of  low  emissions  scenarios  to  inform  mid-century  low  greenhouse  gas  emission 
development strategies, as well as on climate change adaptation. 

  Work together in addressing major environment challenges, stepping up the implementation of 
existing biodiversity targets and developing an ambitious new global biodiversity framework for 
adoption in 2020,  while maximising links with climate change policies.  

  Continue  to  actively  support  the  International  Solar  Alliance,  including  through  the  European 

Investment Bank. 

  Enhance  EU-India’s  partnership  on  development  cooperation  to  promote  sustainable 

8 €75.7 billion in 2017. 

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investment, pursue triangular cooperation in third countries, explore synergies in international fora 
and promote sustainable connectivity. 

 

Identify common priorities and partner with India on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. 

  Deepen  systematic  space  cooperation  between  the  EU,  including  the  European  Space  Agency, 
and  Indian  side,  inter  alia  through  economic  and  scientific  cooperation  agreements.  Enhance 
collaboration in earth observation to tackle challenges from environmental protection and climate 
change to ocean monitoring, also creating business opportunities to design products for local user 
needs. 

1.3.   Realising the untapped potential of the trade and investment relationship 

While the EU was India’s first trading partner with 14% of its total trade in goods in 2017, India was 
the  EU’s  9th  largest  trading  partner,  accounting  for  only  2.2%9.  Considering  the  size  of  the  two 
economies, these figures fall short of the potential of two-way trade between the EU and India. The 
EU and India should pursue a proactive approach to enhance their trade and investment relations. 

Trade and investment have an important role to play in generating the growth required to create jobs, 
infrastructure and housing in response to the aspirations of the emerging Indian middle-class and the 
needs  of the  people still living  in  poverty.  India’s  deeper integration  into the  global economy  and  a 
domestic market more open to global trade could help sustain and speed-up its economic growth.  

The  EU  has  a  direct  interest  in  the  success  of  the  economic  reforms  needed  to  unleash  the  full 
potential  of  the  Indian  economy.  With  an  ongoing  debate  in  India  on  the  benefits  of  trade 
liberalisation, there is still a strong reliance on exports and inward investment, and reluctance to open 
up  to  imports.  The  EU  will  continue  to  encourage  India  to  open  up  its  economy  to  strengthen  its 
international competitiveness, benefit from a better integration into global value chains, and increase 
its share in global trade, to bring it more in line with its growing share of global GDP. 

The EU’s main objective is to work towards a sound, transparent, open, non-discriminatory and 
predictable regulatory and business environment for European companies trading with or investing 
in  India,  including  the  protection  of  their  investments  and  the  protection  and  enforcement  of 
intellectual property. Enhancing market access for EU companies, particularly for SMEs, will require 
removing  existing  obstacles  and  preventing  the  emergence  of  new  tariff  or  non-tariff  barriers. 
Technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, elevated custom duties, mandatory 
testing and local certification requirements, data localization restrictions, deviation from international 
standards and agreements, as well as discrimination based on legislative or administrative measures by 
India affect a wide range of sectors, including goods, services, investment and public procurement.  

In this respect, the EU remains firmly committed to working towards  comprehensive and balanced  
agreements  with  India  with  sufficient  level  of  ambition  to  respond  to  each  side's  key  interests  in 
trade and investment and which contribute to sustainable growth and development in both the EU and 
India. In particular, the EU will continue to engage with India to ensure that such an agreement will be 
economically meaningful, delivering real new market openings in all sectors to both sides, and contain 
a  solid  rules-based  component.  It  will  also  have  to  include  a  comprehensive  trade  and  sustainable 
development chapter, notably in order to deal with social and environmental impacts. Ensuring a high 
level of investment protection in order to remain an attractive destination for new investments is also a 
key dimension of the EU-India partnership. This is particularly true given the unilateral termination by 
India  of  all  its  Bilateral  Investment  Treaties,  including  with  EU  Member  States  and  ongoing 
multilateral reform processes of the investor-to-state dispute settlement regime. 

The  EU  and  India  should  use  all  available  channels  and  fora  to  ensure  fair  market  access  and 
predictable  investment  conditions,  as  well  as  to  promote  the  full  respect  by  both  sides  of  their 
multilateral  obligations  under  the  World  Trade  Organization  (WTO)  and  other  relevant  multilateral 
organisations and fora.  

9 Behind the USA (17.8%) and China (14,9%). 

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Proposed actions: 

  Strengthen engagement with India at a strategic level to identify shared EU-India interests on 
economic,  trade  and  investment  issues,  to  support  and  increase  EU  participation  in  India’s 
economic  growth  and  sustainable  development.  To  this  end,  seek  to  establish  a  regular 
ministerial high level dialogue. 

  Negotiating  balanced,  ambitious  and  mutually  beneficial  agreements  on  trade  and 

investment with a modern framework for investment protection. 

  Continue  engaging  with  India  to  enhance  market  access,  particularly  for  SMEs,  address 
existing and prevent the emergence of new obstacles, whether tariff or non-tariff barriers, and 
improve investment conditions. 

  Promote European Economic Diplomacy by linking EU-India policy dialogues and discussions 

with business and technological cooperation. 

  Enhance business cooperation by supporting the organisation of regular business summits and 
business  visits  to  India  and  encouraging  a  more  active  Indian  participation  into  the  Enterprise 
Europe Network and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform.   

1.4.   Investing in talent and innovation 

Having vibrant democracies and open and diverse societies, the EU and India are at the forefront of 
human  development  and  innovation.  For  India,  addressing  the  basic  needs  of  its  people,  including 
through  frugal  innovation,  and  excelling  in  high-tech  markets  are  twin  objectives.  Both  areas  offer 
mutually  beneficial  opportunities  for  EU-India  cooperation.  Increased  exchanges  between  students, 
researchers and professionals would benefit both sides. 

The EU and India share a mutual interest in reciprocal mobility of talent. Mobility of researchers and 
innovators  should  be  promoted  in  both  directions.  The  EU-India  cooperation  should  also  foster 
innovation  by  promoting  networking  between  EU  and  Indian  innovators,  start-ups,  incubators  and 
accelerators, by setting up joint platforms, both offline and virtual, and engaging in coaching, training 
and  staff  exchanges.  Highly  qualified  Indian  workers  could  be  integrated  into  EU-led  innovation 
systems industries and help maintain technology-based leadership. 

As part of the EU goal to access the best talent, knowledge and resources in the world, the EU has an 
interest in promoting the participation of more Indian students, researchers, and higher education staff 
in  EU  programmes,  in  particular  through  Erasmus+,  as  well  as  the  Research  and  Innovation  Staff 
Exchange action and Global Fellowships under the Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions. 
Reciprocal access of EU participation in Indian fellowship programmes should equally be promoted. 
To effectively boost mobility, the EU will promote the development of quality and transparency tools, 
ensuring comparability in the standards and quality of higher education qualifications.  

While India has many world-class centres for  education, fulfilling the potential of the demographic 
dividend  will  depend  on  the  modernisation,  innovation  and  internationalisation of the overall  Indian 
higher  education  system,  as  well  as  the  enhanced  access  to  inclusive  and  equitable  education,  and 
vocational training. Digitalisation of education may generate new ways of using technology for both 
teaching  and  learning,  while  offering  additional  opportunities  for  cooperation  between  the  EU  and 
India.  The  EU  would  benefit  from  cooperation  with  India  on  EU  priority  areas  such  as  science, 
technology, engineering, mathematics, digital competence and data analysis. 

The  EU  and  India  would  benefit  from  enhanced  intercultural  dialogue  and  people-to-people 
exchanges, building up on cultural diversity and multilingualism. Culture can deliver major social and 
economic benefits. The mobility of artists and culture professionals between the EU and India will be 
encouraged, as well as cooperation on cultural and creative industries, media and the protection and 
promotion of the world’s cultural heritage. 

A better managed migration and mobility between the EU and India is in both sides interest, using a 
balanced approach. The EU should promote cooperation on legal migration with a view to achieve its 

8 

 
 
own  skills  objectives,  notably  on  highly-skilled  workers  such  as  scientists,  IT  specialists,  engineers 
and  managers.  EU  Member  States  should  make  better  use  of  EU  legal  migration  tools  such  as  the 
Directives on the Blue Card, students and researchers, intracorporate transferees and seasonal workers, 
to  harvest  the  Indian  talent  pool  and  entrepreneurial  spirit.  Equally,  improved  and  harmonised 
cooperation  with  India  is  needed  on  irregular  migration,  notably  to  address  issues  faced  in  the 
readmission process. The EU and India should enhance cooperation on return and readmission, and on 
reducing the use of document fraud which facilitates illegal entry and illegal stay in the EU.  

The EU and Member States should cooperate more closely to promote tourism between the EU and 
India,  contributing  to  improving  mutual  understanding,  economic  growth,  employment,  and  social 
development. 

Proposed actions: 

 

Increase  outreach  activities  by  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  to  attract  more  Indian 
participation in EU programmes through fairs, workshops and seminars, at state and city level. 

  Move towards mutual recognition of qualifications. 

  Share tools and good practices aimed to develop transferable skills and competences in degree 
programmes  and  analyse  if  higher  education  graduates  have  the  skills  that  employers  are 
seeking. 

  Support cooperation and exchanges between the cultural and creative sectors in the EU and in 
India, including through promoting city-to-city cooperation and the Creative Europe programme.  

  Engage in more joint activities for cultural heritage preservation and promotion in both the 

EU and India, promote tourism to the EU, and support youth-exchanges.  

  Use  of  existing  tools  to  their  full  potential  for  cooperation  on  migration  and  mobility, 

including the Common Agenda for Migration and Mobility. 

2.  SECURITY AND STABILITY THROUGH THE RULES-BASED GLOBAL ORDER 

Both  the  EU  and  India  strive  for  inclusive,  effective  and  rules-based  global  governance,  centred  on 
multilateralism,  with  the  UN  at  its  core.  The  EU  supports  India’s  greater  participation  in  global 
governance and has a strong interest in building a solid partnership for global stability and prosperity. 
There is still significant room to improve coordination with India in the multilateral and regional fora. 
A better understanding of each other’s positions is essential to identify meaningful shared interests that 
would benefit a common approach. The EU should seek to continue to engage India on specific issues, 
from a result oriented perspective. 

2.1.   Promoting effective multilateralism 

India  is  an  important  partner  for  the  EU  in  building  multilateral  solutions  and  addressing  global 
challenges  from  international  security,  to  global  economic  stability  and  sustainable  growth.  The  EU 
should further develop regular dialogue and consultations with India ahead of important international 
meetings, seeking to align the positions, notably at the United Nations, in the G20 and the WTO, as 
well as to jointly support international law and dispute settlement.   

The EU and India are committed to effective multilateralism with a strong UN at its core. The EU will 
continue  to  engage  with  India  on  the  reform  of  the  UN  system,  in  particular  to  support  the 
implementation of the three strands of peace and security, development and management reform. The 
EU and India should cooperate in order to revitalise the General Assembly and better align the work of 
its committees with the 2030 Agenda.  

India’s share of the global economy is expected to further increase over the next two decades. As G20 
partners, the EU and India share a mutual interest in tackling global challenges and deepening exchanges 
on macroeconomic developments, challenges and appropriate policy strategies both globally and in their 

9 

 
 
 
 
respective regions. The EU and India should continue to work together within the G20 identifying and 
promoting priorities meant to secure strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive global growth. 

The EU and India share an interest in sustaining a rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO 
at its centre, and enhancing free, fair and open trade for achieving sustainable growth and development. 
While  the  multilateral  trading  system  has  been  instrumental  in  integrating  the  global  economy  and 
helping to prevent protectionism, it is confronted with a serious crisis. The EU expects India to play a 
more constructive role in the WTO in order to identify long lasting solutions, to contribute to addressing 
the deep causes of existing trade tensions and to help restore balance in the international trading system. 
The EU wants to work with India to develop a common understanding on the issues to be addressed in 
the WTO and its modernisation and to advance rulemaking on fundamental global trade issues. 

Proposed actions: 

  Establish a channel of dialogue on multilateral issues, associating foreign affairs and security 

aspects with trade and economic objectives. 

  Seek  to  coordinate  positions  with  India  in  the  preparation,  negotiation,  universalisation  and 
implementation  of  major  multilateral  conventions  and  conferences  in  areas  of  mutual  interest, 
and facilitate common understanding with other UN members.  

  Reaffirm  the  need  for  cooperative,  believable  and  effective  global  economic  governance,  and 
promote  a  strong,  coordinating  role  for  both  the  EU  and  India  by  encouraging  further 
engagement in the international context. 

  Enhance  coordination  and  cooperation  within  existing  multilateral  frameworks,  in 
particular  the  G20,  and  promote  mutually  reinforcing  policies  and  initiatives,  such  as  on 
sustainable and inclusive growth policies, the 2030 Agenda, quality infrastructure, the future of 
work, the circular economy, and early childhood development. 

  Seek  India’s  constructive  engagement  in  addressing  global  trade  challenges  in  the  WTO, 
building on the common objective of maintaining and strengthening a rules-based multilateral trading 
system. 

 

Improve coordination in UN agencies and other fora.  

2.2.   Building on common values 

As the world’s largest democracies, the EU and India have a common responsibility to promote peace, 
democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including at the multilateral level and at the 
UN.  

The  EU  and  India  share  a  long-term  commitment  to  human  rights  cooperation  and  should  continue 
regular exchanges of best practice on the protection of human rights at home and around the world, 
focusing on gender equality and women’s empowerment, the political, economic and social inclusion 
of young people and persons belonging to minorities, the rights of the child, elimination of any form 
of  discrimination,  the  fight  against  trafficking  in  human  beings,  and  freedom  of  religion  and  belief. 
Protecting  the  rights  of  vulnerable  groups  should  be  prioritised  in  order  to  respond  effectively  to 
climate  impacts,  as  they  are  often  disproportionally  affected.  The  EU  and  India  should  reinforce 
practical cooperation, and explore opportunities to cooperate closer on democracy, good governance 
and the rule of law. The EU and India should further strengthen their joint efforts within the UN.  

An  EU-India  partnership  on  humanitarian  assistance  would  be  a  strong  asset  for  ensuring  joint 
vision and action within the international community, including UN bodies, the World Bank and the 
WTO.  The  internationally  recognised  humanitarian  principles  of  neutrality,  impartiality  and 
independence are essential to succeed in our common endeavours. 

Proposed actions: 

  Continue  to  engage  regularly  at  bilateral  and  UN  level  and  pursue  joint  initiatives  to  promote 
common  global  agendas  on  human  rights  and  democracy,  gender  equality  and  women's 

10 

 
 
empowerment and the inclusion of young people. 

  Enhance  practical  cooperation  with  and  outreach  to  stakeholders,  including  the  civil 
society,  to  promote  common  values  and  principles,  particularly  in  the  field  of  rule  of  law, 
sustainable socioeconomic development and human rights. 

  Work  with  India  in  third  countries  to  help  consolidate  democratic  processes  and  support 
transitioning regimes through capacity building for electoral and parliamentary institutions. 

  Coordinate on humanitarian and disaster relief operations and work with India to reinforce 

the multilateral humanitarian system and its coordination mechanisms. 

  Engage  with  India  to  ensure  food  security  world-wide,  while  preventing  restrictions  and 

distortions in world agricultural markets. 

 2.3.   Reinforcing cooperation on foreign policy – from common values to common action 

India  is  rising  as  a  global  power,  with  an  increasingly  proactive  foreign  policy.  India  will  deeply 
impact the development of Asia and the world. Improved India-Pakistan relations would help unlock 
the  potential  of  both  countries,  as  well  as  that  of  their  region.  The  EU  and  India  have  a  common 
responsibility to ensure international peace and security and an open and inclusive international order. 
The  EU  has  an  interest  in  India  playing  a  greater  role  in  a  multipolar  world,  which  requires  a 
multipolar Asia.  

The EU and India have significant stakes in the stability and security of their extended neighbourhood 
which  overlaps  in  Central  Asia,  the  Middle  East/‘West  Asia’,  Africa  and  the  Indian  Ocean.  Their 
shared values and principles point at a general convergence of interests in these regions, in terms of 
ensuring their development, prosperity and security. The EU should enhance engagement with India 
on these areas from a practical perspective, striving for joint assessments, analysis and action. 

The EU should build on the positions it shares with India on international issues, including support to 
Afghanistan to become a self-reliable and prosperous state; engagement with Central Asia so that the 
region  develops  as  a  peaceful,  prosperous,  resilient  and  more  closely  interconnected  economic  and 
political space; the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran; the ‘two state 
solution’  in  the  Middle  East  Peace  Process;  as  well  as  the  importance  of  contributing  to  peace  and 
prosperity in Africa and of supporting African solutions to African crises. 

The  stability  and  security  of  Asia  is  increasingly  important  for  European  interests.  The  EU  and  India 
should  step-up  engagement  to  support  the  resilience  of  states,  and  to  address  root  causes  of  conflicts 
through  joint  approaches  and  preventive  diplomacy.  Cooperation  with  third  countries  should  be 
prioritised. 

The  EU  and  India  share  the  view  that  their  approaches  to  connectivity  should  be  sustainable, 
comprehensive  and  rules  based.  This  means  connectivity  should  be  environmentally,  economically, 
socially  and  fiscally  sustainable  and  provide  a  level  playing  field  for  businesses,  while  respecting 
international standards and enhancing its governance. The EU should further enhance its engagement 
with India aimed at developing connectivity to the benefit of South Asia and other regions, including 
connecting Afghanistan better with the world economy. 

The  EU  should  seek  opportunities,  in  cooperation  with  India  and  other  Asian  partners,  to  support 
cooperative and inclusive regional orders and integration, with a rules-based approach. This should 
include the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, the ASEAN, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. 
Cooperation should be expanded with India on the promotion of common principles, including in the 
ASEM, such as on connectivity.  

Proposed actions: 

  Upgrade the yearly dialogue between the High Representative / Vice President of the EU and the 

Indian Minister for External Affairs to a regular Strategic Dialogue. 

11 

 
 
  Seek  regular exchanges  and  coordination  on  the  most  relevant foreign  policy  issues  either 
through established dialogues, at the margins of international events, or through the offices of the 
EU Delegation in New Delhi and the Indian Embassy in Brussels.  

  Establish regular bilateral, as well as trilateral dialogues on/with Africa, to discuss inter alia 

security, economic issues, as well as connectivity. 

 

 

Intensify dialogue on Afghanistan and Central Asia in the appropriate settings. 

Join  forces  on  post-conflict  institution  building  and  reconciliation  processes  in  third 
countries. 

  Build a connectivity partnership with India both at strategic and operational level, regionally, 

bilaterally and in support of ASEM connectivity activities. 

  Exchange experiences with India on enhancing regional cooperation and jointly pursue efforts 
to strengthen existing regional structures including through cooperation in the ASEAN Regional 
Forum. 

2.4.   Developing security and defence cooperation 

The EU is a normative power and increasingly a security provider, as shown in the Western Balkans, as 
well as in various African crises, the Western Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea and the Mediterranean 
Sea.  It is also an important promoter of the rules-based order and cooperative security initiatives. The 
EU’s  security  and  defence  policy  is  setting  up  mechanisms  for  joint  development  of  defence 
capabilities within the EU, the Permanent Structured Cooperation, which over time will further enhance 
its operational capacity and open up opportunities for closer engagement with non-EU countries such as 
India.  Future  cooperation  could  include  exchange  of  experience  in  training,  capability  development, 
participation  in  missions  and  operations,  and  research  into  new  defence  systems.  The  EU  has  also 
decided to enhance security cooperation in and with Asia through tailor-made approaches10. To develop 
concrete initiatives and promote a better understanding of EU policies, it is essential to further develop 
military-to-military relations with India, including between leaders of the Indian armed forces and the 
EU military structures, as well as joint exercises. 

The  EU  and  India  share  common  security  interests  in  a  growing  number  of  areas.  Crisis 
management, peacekeeping and peacebuilding offer vast potential for bilateral cooperation and at the 
UN. 

Terrorism is a major threat for the EU and India. Countering radicalisation, including online, terrorist 
financing  and  preventing  violent  extremism  are  of  priority  for  both  partners.  Regular  bilateral 
consultations  on  counter-terrorism  should  develop  into  a  platform  for  joint  assessments  of  threats, 
challenges  and  policy  responses,  and  seek  to  expand  technical  cooperation.  The  EU  and  India  should 
cooperate to pursue common objectives in international and regional organisations, including at the UN, 
G20,  the  Financial  Action Task  Force  (FATF)  and  the  Global  Counter-terrorism  Forum,  notably  on 
terrorist financing and terrorist designation listing. Cooperation on counter-terrorism, as well as other 
security issues, would benefit from enhanced relations between Europol and its Indian counterparts. 

India is an important service provider to the EU and cyber security is a joint priority. The EU should 
engage  more  with  India  to  stabilise  cyberspace  and  develop  global  norms  underpinned  by  shared 
commitment  to  a  free,  secure,  stable,  peaceful  and  accessible  cyberspace.  The  EU  should  seek  to 
jointly develop with India regional confidence building measures, under the ASEAN Regional Forum. 

Securing sea lines of communications is vital for both the EU and India, as the huge majority of their 
trade  relies  on  maritime  transport.  Both  are  strong  promoters  of  the  respect  for  international  law,  in 
particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Enhanced engagement is needed on 
maritime security to discuss the non-traditional security challenges, such as piracy and armed robbery; 
transnational organised crime; illegal trafficking; cooperation at sea, including at the operational level as 
well  as  in  law  enforcement  and  conflict  prevention;  promotion  of  confidence  building  measures;  and 

10 Council Conclusions on enhanced EU security cooperation in and with Asia, 28 May 2018. 

12 

 
 
                                                           
sharing of experiences in maritime situational awareness, maritime surveillance and information sharing, 
possibly in cooperation with other partners and international organisations (e.g. UN). Cooperation on the 
Indian Ocean should be developed, notably on security and governance, building on counter-piracy 
activities, and promoting respect for the international law of the sea. 

The EU should continue the positive engagement with India on non-proliferation and disarmament, 
export  control,  and  nuclear  safety  and  security.  The  EU  will  also  continue  to  encourage  India  to 
participate constructively in international export control regimes and initiatives, and to join the Arms 
Trade  Treaty,  the  Comprehensive  Nuclear-Test-Ban  Treaty,  the  Treaty  on  the  Non-Proliferation  of 
Nuclear Weapons, as  well as  the  Convention  on the Prohibition  of  the  Use,  Stockpiling,  Production 
and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction. 

Proposed actions: 

  Strengthen technical cooperation with India on fighting terrorism and countering radicalisation 

and violent extremism and countering terrorist financing. 

  Work  with  India  to  support  a  multi-stakeholder  governance  model  of  the  Internet,  which 

provides for its freedom and security.  

  Exchange expertise on cyber security and hybrid threats. 

  Conclude  working  arrangements  to  foster  cooperation  between  Europol  and  Indian  law 

enforcement institutions. 

 

Identify common actions with India both at policy and operational levels to enhance  maritime 
security. Work with India and other key regional players such as South Africa to help build the 
capacity of maritime nations in the Indian Ocean and East Africa. 

  Seek  to  develop  with  India  joint  projects  for  training  and  assistance  to  third  parties, 

particularly African countries that deploy significant numbers of UN peacekeepers. 

  Encourage regular exchanges on EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations 
with the view to promote the participation of Indian security experts, police, justice officials, and 
military advisers.  Both sides should invite each other to their peacekeeping trainings. 

  Develop military-to-military relations via personnel exchanges and trainings, including with the 

European Defence College. 

  Consider deploying an EU military advisor in the EU Delegation in New Delhi and encourage 

reciprocity. 

  Cooperate  with  India  in  crisis-management  and  share  experiences  on  consular  crisis 

interventions during major disasters in third countries. 

3.  A MORE JOINED-UP AND STREAMLINED APPROACH TOWARDS INDIA 

India  enjoys  strong  relationships  at  bilateral  level  with  many  EU  Member  States,  which  in  turn 
nourishes and sustains relations at EU level. The policies proposed in this Joint Communication aim to 
enhance  these  relationships  within  a  clear  common  strategy.  The  Council  is  invited  to  support  this 
approach. 

A joint approach drawing upon both the work of the EU institutions and the diplomatic resources of 
the  EU  Member  States  should  enhance  the  EU's  ability  to  set  top-level  priorities  and  improve 
coordination, cohesiveness and effectiveness in promoting EU interests in relation to India, as well as 
complementarity.  

The EU and its Member States should seek to implement the common priorities set out in the Strategy 
through concrete action. This should support the overall goal of enhancing understanding of the EU 
in India. For example, more streamlined and coordinated initiatives and mobilisation of resources at 

13 

 
 
 
 
EU level would generate the critical mass needed to support India’s modernisation agenda. The EU-
India water partnership can be taken as a model for efficient collaboration serving mutual benefit. 

The EU should be proactive in advancing the EU-India partnership and promote the strategic use of 
resources  to  this  end.  A  more  dynamic  EU  public  diplomacy  is  needed  with  initiatives  targeting 
decision  makers,  influencers,  opinion  shapers,  civil  society  and  academic  circles.  This  will  require 
joint approaches with EU Member States in defining common messages, identifying communication 
opportunities and delivering as one. 

The architecture of the EU-India strategic partnership should be streamlined on the basis of mutual 
interests  and  a  flexible  and  result-oriented  approach.  Coordination  between  EU  and  national  level 
dialogues should be improved to contribute to the efficiency of the overall framework of dialogue with 
India.  Regular  EU-India  Summits  are  important  in  maintaining  the  level  of  political  commitment 
needed  to  implement  the  ambitious  objectives  presented  in  this  Joint  Communication.  High  level 
dialogues  and  exchanges  are  essential  to  provide  strategic  steer  and  oversee  cooperation  between 
Summits. 

EU-India Parliamentary relations have intensified in recent years and the European Parliament has 
stated its intention to promote closer political ties, including through enhanced exchanges between the 
European Parliament Delegation for relations with India and the India-Europe Friendship Group from 
the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 

Proposed actions: 

  Streamline  the  governance  of  EU-India  cooperation  and  adopt  a  flexible  and  result  oriented 

approach. 

 

 

Increase co-ordination, complementarities and synergies with EU Member States' bilateral 
initiatives. 

Identify,  together  with  EU  Member  States,  the  bilateral  initiatives  that  would  benefit  from 
support at  EU  level;  encourage  more frequent  pooling  of  resources to  enhance  the  collective 
impact. Promote a strategic use of the available funding instruments. 

  Develop  joint  responses  at  EU  and  bilateral  level  to  address  India’s  expectations  towards  the 

EU. Associate EU Member States more systematically in EU-India dialogues. 

  Develop  a  clear  EU-branding  in  India  with  more  targeted  public  and  digital  diplomacy 
initiatives, including by systematically reaching out jointly with EU Member States at national 
and regional levels. 

  Broaden and improve existing programmes for Indian diplomats and policy experts to get an 

inside view of the EU. 

  Promote common understanding of underlying trends on global, regional and bilateral, as well as 
socio-economic  issues,  through  regular  think-tank  exchanges,  track  1.5  and  2.0  dialogues, 
including the EU Institute of Security Studies. 

The EU-India relations are currently governed by the 1994 EU-India Cooperation Agreement. To be 
able to match the ambitions set out in this Joint Communication and tackle the global challenges of 
today,  the  EU  and  India  should  consider  the  negotiation  of  a  broader  Strategic  Partnership 
Agreement.  

The  Council  and  the  European  Parliament  are  invited  to  support  the  actions  presented  in  this  Joint 
Communication.  

14