Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee – EU-India Strategic Partnership (own-initiative opinion)
Date: 2025-03-26
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: India, bilateral relations, cooperation policy, foreign policy, free-trade agreement, negotiation of an agreement (EU), strategic partnership (EU)








C_202502956EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/2956


16.6.2025






Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee

EU-India Strategic Partnership


(own-initiative opinion)

(C/2025/2956)


Rapporteur: 
Aurel Laurenţiu PLOSCEANU






Advisor


Maria GAVOUNELI, Rapporteur’s Advisor Group I




Plenary Assembly decision


18.1.2024




Legal basis


Rule 52(2) of the Rules of Procedure




 


Own-initiative opinion




Section responsible


External Relations




Adopted in section


10.3.2025




Adopted at plenary


26.3.2025




Plenary session No


595




Outcome of vote
(for/against/abstentions)


180/1/1




1.   Conclusions and recommendations









1.1.


The EESC urges the European Commission to work consistently towards upgrading the Strategic Partnership with India, the largest formal democracy in the world, proposing a new ambitious roadmap adapted to the current political and strategic circumstances.












1.2.


The EESC asks the European Commission to urgently step up negotiations with India on a Free Trade Agreement, with a view to establishing India as a preferential partner of the European Union in a strategic context.












1.3.


The EESC advocates expanding cooperation between the EU and India in all fields, further promoting fair, inclusive and rules-based international trade, building on the shared history and values of our ancient civilisations, as well as on our common understanding of contemporary realities.












1.4.


The EESC recommends furthering cooperation between the EU and its Member States and India in bilateral and multilateral projects on infrastructure, construction – especially deep-water ports and airports – and energy connectivity.












1.5.


The EESC advocates further deepening cooperation between the EU and its Member States and India on defence and security, especially in the R&D and innovation sector, including joint space and dual use projects, with special emphasis on the contribution of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).












1.6.


The EESC recommends furthering cooperation between the EU and its Members States and India in joint projects of maritime security, especially in the Western Indian Ocean and the shipping lanes crossing it.












1.7.


The EESC recommends further expanding cultural exchanges between the EU and its Member States and India, in particular through university cooperation and student exchanges, as well as exchanges between teaching and scientific personnel.












1.8.


The EESC recommends expanding cooperation with India in the framework of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC); to that effect, it will prepare a comprehensive opinion on the IMEC project and its perspectives in the near future.












1.9.


The new EU-India partnership must contribute to the ratification and implementation of the core ILO conventions and to the progressive reduction of informality in the labour market. The EESC therefore calls on the EU Council, the European Commission and the EU Member States to urgently involve organised civil society, including the social partners, in the negotiation process through a permanent advisory structure (1). Ultimately, the Free Trade Agreement must uphold an ambitious Trade and Sustainable development (TSD) chapter with the structural monitoring and advisory role for civil society organisations, including social partners, on both sides (2).












1.10.


The EESC calls upon the European Council, the European Commission and the EU Member States to possibly reactivate the EESC’s EU-India Round Table with the involvement of civil society.












1.11.


The EESC welcomes the upcoming EU-India Summit, including the Youth Summit component; to that effect, it would be available to contribute to it accordingly.




2.   General comments

2.1.   Bilateral EU-India relations and partnership









2.1.1.


With a population of 1,4 billion, India is the world’s most populous country. The World Bank expects India to overtake Japan and Germany and emerge as the world’s third-largest economy by 2030. The Indian PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry expects India to become the fourth-largest global economy by 2026, surpassing Japan, with a GDP growth rate forecast to be 6,8 % in 2024 and 7,7 % in 2026.












2.1.2.


As the world’s two largest democracies, the European Union and India are united in their commitment to a rules-based global order, effective multilateralism and sustainable development. In 2004, India was designated as one of the EU’s strategic partners. In addition, India has developed strategic partnerships with EU Member States such as Germany, France and Greece while it seeks to further expand bilateral cooperation and strategic dialogue.












2.1.3.


The year 2022 marked the 60th anniversary of EU-India bilateral relations, highlighting several key achievements:






—


The EU was India’s largest trading partner in 2023, accounting for EUR 124 billion worth of trade in goods, or 12,2 % of total Indian trade (compared to 10,8 % for the USA and 10,5 % for China).










—


EU foreign direct investment (FDI) in India reached EUR 108,3 billion in 2023, up from EUR 82,3 billion in 2019.










—


The EU is the second-largest destination for Indian exports, at 17,5 % of the total (compared to 16,7 % from the USA and 3,7 % from China).










—


Trade in goods between the EU and India has increased by almost 90 % in the last decade, while trade in services reached EUR 50,8 bilion in 2023 (compared to EUR 30 billion in 2020).










—



                           6 000 EU companies operating in India have created 1,7 million direct jobs and an additional 5 million indirect jobs.










—


The European Investment Bank (EIB) has invested over EUR 3 billion in infrastructure, energy and climate projects in India.
















2.1.4.


Collaboration between the EU and India from 2020 to 2025 has been, and is being, steered by the 
EU-India Strategic Partnership Roadmap
 (3), the 
EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
 (4) and the 
Global Gateway Strategy
 (5).












2.1.5.



Parliamentary relations: A delegation of MEPs visited India on 18-20 December 2023 for the 15th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting. On 19-20 March 2025the EP Committee on International Trade (INTA) discussed the status of EU-India relations in the aftermath of their visit to India on 24-26 February 2025
                  , with a view to better understanding the Indian perspective on the current trade negotiations.




2.2.   Background information: India’s foreign policy









2.2.1.



India-China relations, brought to a tipping point by the deadly border clash in 2020, is the dominant factor in Delhi’s foreign and security policy and the main driver in its pursuit of multi-alignment. On the margins of the BRICS summit (October 2024), India and China took an important step towards normalising the border situation by approving the resumption of i) patrols along the Line of Actual Control and ii) talks between the Special Representatives on the border issue (on hold since 2019).












2.2.2.


The India-Russia partnership has been a cornerstone of India’s strategic security and ‘multi-alignment’ foreign policy. Prime Minister Modi travelled to Russia in July 2024 for the India-Russia Summit and met President Putin for a second bilateral meeting this year on the margins of the recent BRICS Summit in Kazan on 23-24 October 2024. In an attempt to address international outcry (Mr Modi’s visit in July coincided with an attack on a children’s hospital in Ukraine) and to maintain India’s balancing act, Mr Modi visited Kyiv in August 2024, but he did not commit to a more active role in the peace process. Mr Modi met with President Zelenskyy again at the UN Summit of the Future on 23 September 2024. With substantial revenue flowing in from oil sales, Russia is now even more inclined to trade with India in order to purchase and import goods of interest – especially those with dual-use or battlefield applications.












2.2.3.



India-US relations: There is a sense of strategic continuity in the relationship, which has been on an upward course under the past five US administrations. Under the new US administration, it remains to be seen how the commitment to technology transfers and to existing security arrangements with India would develop in view of the imposition of reciprocal tariffs as well as the impact of any easing of India-China tensions. India and the United States have swapped the hosting of the 2025 Quad Summit, which is now scheduled to take place in India. Delhi is treading a fine line when it comes to China, following the strong stance of the Quad towards China’s assertive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific and the South-China Sea and regarding Taiwan, on the one hand, while avoiding direct confrontation with a view to averting further border tensions, on the other.




3.   The EU-India relationship

3.1.   History of the EU-India Strategic Partnership









3.1.1.



EU-India bilateral relations date back to the early 1960s, with India being among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community in 1962. The Joint Political Statement signed in 1993, coupled with the EU-India Cooperation Agreement signed in 1994, opened the way to strengthening bilateral ties.












3.1.2.



The first India-EU Summit took place in Lisbon in June 2000, and there have been 16 summits to date. The relationship was upgraded to a ‘Strategic Partnership’
                   during the 5th Summit in The Hague in 2004. The Joint Action Plan (JAP), as a roadmap for a strategic partnership, was adopted after the 6th summit in New Delhi.












3.1.3.


During the 15th India-EU summit held virtually in 2020, an ambitious 
Roadmap to 2025
 (6)
was adopted. The leaders decided to strengthen the EU-India Strategic Partnership, based on the shared principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights, and aimed at delivering concrete benefits for the people of the EU and India. An Agreement on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation was signed and another Agreement on S&T Cooperation was extended for a further period of five years. Both sides also issued a ‘Joint Declaration on Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy’. Furthermore, EU-India Joint Declarations have been adopted to bolster efforts on connectivity, water and resource efficiency, employing a circular economy approach.












3.1.4.



The EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was created as a coordination platform to address key trade, trusted technology and security challenges on the occasion of Ursula von der Leyen’s first visit to India as President of the European Commission, in April 2022. The first TTC ministerial meeting was held in May 2023 in Brussels. The 2024 annual meeting took place on 28 February 2025 during the visit of the entire European Commission to Delhi. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Semiconductors was signed in November 2023, while India co-chaired the AI Action Summit 2025 with France.




3.2.   The EU-India Strategic Partnership









3.2.1.


The year 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the EU-India Strategic Partnership, which has recently gained momentum, benefiting from India’s interest in cultivating a multi-polar world and increasing cooperation with the EU. The broad bilateral portfolio, captured in the Roadmap to 2025, continues to expand, focusing mainly on cooperation on trade, the green transition, innovation and the digital transformation, connectivity, and security and defence, including space cooperation. Nonetheless, the EU’s close partnership with India entails its own challenges, in particular India’s protectionism, its long-standing partnership with Russia and human rights.












3.2.2.


During their Delhi meeting, President von der Leyen and the European Commission discussed the EU-India Strategic Agenda and committed to raising this partnership to a higher level, building on 20 years of India-EU Strategic Partnership and over 30 years of India-EC Cooperation Agreement. They further reiterated their commitment to promote a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific built on international law and mutual respect for sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes underpinned by effective regional institutions. India welcomed the EU joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).












3.2.3.


Implementation of the Global Gateway Strategy has already triggered significant financial support for green tech development, urban infrastructures and water supply.












3.2.4.



Connectivity: The 
EU-India Connectivity Partnership
 (7) was launched during the India-EU Leaders Meeting in May 2021, focusing on transport, digital, energy networks, and the flow of people, goods, services, data and capital. On the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, leaders of India, the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US announced an MOU committing to working together to develop a new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), in effect integrating partners from the Middle East and South Asia into a common geo-economic architecture arrangement. The project consists of two corridors, one connecting Europe to the Gulf and the other connecting the Gulf to India, which will comprise rail links, electrical and data cables, and pipelines for exporting hydrogen. They will also connect with Israel and Jordan, although these countries have not signed the IMEC agreement.












3.2.5.



EU-India Cooperation on Climate Change is evolving within the wider context of common commitments in international agreements such as the 2015 Paris Agreement. As the world’s third largest CO2 emitter, India’s green energy transition is vital for the world at large. India’s renewable energy ambitions have grown exponentially and there has been a strong focus on green energy production since the 2023 national budget. However, coal remains the country’s main source of energy. India alone will represent 25 % of the world-wide increase in energy demand in the next few decades. India is already the third-largest energy importer in the world, after China and the US.












3.2.6.


In 2016, the EU and India established the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership (8) (CECP), which promotes access to and the dissemination of clean energy and climate-friendly technologies, and encourages research into and the development of innovative solutions. Current areas of collaboration include activities in offshore wind energy, rooftop solar and solar parks, the integration of renewable energy and storage, smart grids, biofuels and energy efficiency in buildings.




3.3.   Free Trade Agreement

On 17 June 2022, the European Union relaunched negotiations with India
                (9) on a Free Trade Agreement, as well as separate negotiations on an Investment Protection Agreement and an Agreement on Geographical Indications (GIs).








3.3.1.


The investment protection negotiations aim to provide investors from both sides with a predictable, secure investment environment, through commitments on:






—


non-discrimination;










—


protection against expropriation without compensation and against unfair treatment of investors and their investments, while preserving the right to regulate; and










—


the transfer of returns.
















3.3.2.


The tenth round of the EU-India FTA negotiations took place in Brussels on 10-14 March 2025
                  , with discussions on trade, investment and geographical indications.




4.   Now and in the future

4.1.   Current state of affairs









4.1.1.


The European Union and India held the 5th Strategic Partnership Review Meeting in Brussels on 22 November 2024
                  . The EU side was led by Simon Mordue, Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues, European External Action Service (EEAS), and the Indian side by Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs.












4.1.2.


The 10th EU-India Foreign Policy and Security Consultations and the 10th EU-India Energy Panel were also convened on 21 November 2024.












4.1.3.


The meetings assessed the full spectrum of the bilateral cooperation between India and the EU and the implementation of the detailed commitments set out in the ‘India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025’ (10). The exchanges also focused on future priorities for EU-India ties and the new impetus in relations, welcoming President von der Leyen’s commitment expressed in the Political Guidelines for 2024-2029 to develop a new EU-India strategic agenda.












4.1.4.


The discussions focused on a broad range of topics, including economic security, the green transition, defence and security cooperation, migration, mobility, the EU-India Connectivity Partnership, the Global Gateway and the IMEC. The two sides also discussed furthering cooperation in matters relating to innovation, science and technology – including positive developments in the context of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) – and opportunities to increase people-to-people contacts in education and research.












4.1.5.


They also took stock of the ongoing negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement, Investment Protection Agreement and Agreement on Geographical Indications and agreed on their importance. They welcomed multilateral cooperation and expressed their appreciation of the regular bilateral dialogue on economic issues, including that on resilient supply chains in the context of the TTC. All these were discussed during the second TTC Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi on 28 February 2025
                  .












4.1.6.


The EU and India welcomed their partnership on global matters, enhanced cooperation in the multilateral system (including the G20) and humanitarian issues, including disaster risk management in third countries. Both unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border attacks.












4.1.7.


The two sides underlined the importance of the India-EU Strategic Partnership in addressing global challenges, especially in view of recent geopolitical developments. They reiterated their shared commitment to promoting a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific, while India welcomed the European Union’s increasing engagement in the region.












4.1.8.


Both India and the EU are committed to fair, inclusive and rules-based international trade. At the same time, however, the EU and India have an ongoing dispute in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over Indian tariffs on certain European information and communication technologies (ICTs). A WTO panel ruled in 2023 that these tariffs were in breach of WTO rules (11). New Delhi then appealed against this ruling in December 2023, although the Appellate Body has been blocked for several years. On 
                     28 November 2024
                  , the European Commission began consultations on the matter with India at the WTO, with a view to resolving the dispute. Although the WTO consultation phase ended on 10 February 2025, there is no indication as to whether the EU will undertake retaliatory trade measures against India in implementation of the Trade Compliance Regulation (EU) 2021/821 (12).












4.1.9.



The 11th meeting in the India-EU Human Rights Dialogue took place in New Delhi on 8 January 2025
                  , reaffirming the two parties’ shared principles of democracy, freedom and the rule of law. A comprehensive range of topics was discussed, including civil and political rights, social and economic rights, and freedom of expression, both online and offline. Specific areas of focus included gender equality, LGBTQI+ rights, children’s rights, women’s empowerment, the elimination of all forms of discrimination, and freedom of religion and belief, ensuring freedom of assembly and association. Both parties agreed on the importance of safeguarding the independence and diversity of civil society organisations and protecting journalists and other stakeholders. They also covered contemporary concerns such as technology and human rights, the rights of migrants, and the role of businesses in upholding human rights, taking into consideration value chains and the enhanced obligations of due diligence under the CSDD Directive.




4.2.   Involving of civil society in work on India









4.2.1.


The decision to set up the EU-India Round Table was taken at the December 1999 EU-India Ministerial meeting in Helsinki and was subsequently endorsed by the first EU-India Summit in Lisbon in June 2000.












4.2.2.


The round table was composed of 30 representatives from Indian and European civil society (15 from each side). It was set up as a permanent forum for discussion and dialogue at civil society level on all matters relating to EU-India relations, with a broader horizon and more informal approach than is possible at official level. The round table has met twelve times, the last time being in 2008, and the conclusions of its meetings have taken the form of recommendations to feed into EU-India summits. However, over the years, the dialogue became less effective due to the different origins of the participants and their representative nature and the Round Table meetings lapsed.












4.2.3.


After a meeting on 15 October 2024 with HE Saurabh Kumar, Ambassador of India to Belgium and Luxembourg, the REX section president and the rapporteur for this opinion obtained a positive response to the idea of sparking interest among Indian civil society to possibly reactivate the EU-India Round Table. The new partnership between the EU and India must contribute to the ratification and implementation of the core ILO conventions and to the progressive reduction of informality in the labour market. In any case, organised civil society in India and the EU must be structurally involved in the negotiation of an FTA. Ultimately, the FTA must uphold an ambitious TSD chapter of labour rights and climate and environment protections with the structural monitoring and advisory role for civil society organisations, including the social partners, on both sides.






Brussels, 26 March 2025.


The President


of the European Economic and Social Committee

Oliver RÖPKE
               





(1)  
            
OJ C 290, 29.7.2022, p. 11.

(2)  
            
OJ C 140, 21.4.2023, p. 69.

(3)  
            https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-india-strategic-partnership-roadmap-2025_en.

(4)  
            https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/joint-communication-indo-pacific_en.

(5)  
            https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021JC0030&qid=1653525883495.

(6)  
            https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-india-strategic-partnership-roadmap-2025_en.

(7)  
            https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/49522/eu-india_connectivity-factsheet_2021-05-final.pdf.

(8)  
            https://www.cecp-eu.in/.

(9)  
            https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-and-india-kick-start-ambitious-trade-agenda-2022-06-17_en.

(10)  
            https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/45026/eu-india-roadmap-2025.pdf.

(11)  
            https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds582_e.htm.

(12)  
            https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/821/oj.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2956/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)