EU-India Relations: Time to Inject New Momentum?

Key Chapter Title List

1. Introduction
2. The EU and India: A Strategic Partnership
3. Cooperation and Negotiations in the Trade Domain
4. Cooperation in Other Policy Areas (Security, Climate & Energy, etc.)
5. Interaction between the European Parliament and India
6. Challenges Facing the EU-India Partnership

Document Introduction

The current global geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound adjustments, with rising uncertainties in transatlantic relations and the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region becoming increasingly prominent. The EU is seeking to strengthen its strategic partnership with India—a partnership that has developed over more than two decades since its establishment in 2004. This report focuses on the critical time window of 2024-2025, centrally exploring the core issue of whether the EU and India are now positioned to inject new momentum into their bilateral relationship.

The report first outlines the historical context and practical foundations of the bilateral relationship: the two sides celebrated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022; the EU launched its India Strategy in 2018; a Joint Roadmap to 2025 was agreed in 2020; and multiple high-level interaction mechanisms have been gradually established, including the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) and the High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment. As the world's most populous country and an economy poised to become the third largest, India's geographical centrality in the Indo-Pacific region, its economic growth potential in green technologies, and its representativeness within the "Global South" make it a core target for the EU in expanding its circle of key partners.

In terms of its core content structure, the report systematically analyzes multiple dimensions of bilateral cooperation: On trade, it details the current status of the EU as India's largest trading partner (goods trade reached €123.7 billion in 2023), and the negotiation processes and bottlenecks for three key agreements, including the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). In the security domain, it focuses on Indo-Pacific strategic alignment, maritime security cooperation, counter-terrorism collaboration, and defense industrial partnership. In the climate and energy field, it discusses cooperation on clean energy, participation in the International Solar Alliance, and collaboration on critical minerals. It also covers progress in cooperation on connectivity, research & development & innovation, and space.

The report's data foundation draws from authoritative sources such as the European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the World Bank. It combines relevant European Parliament reports from January 2024 and records of bilateral high-level interactions from 2023-2025, employing a research methodology that integrates policy text analysis with data verification.

Key findings indicate that, while bilateral cooperation covers a wide range of areas and possesses growth potential, it still faces multiple structural challenges: India's opposition to the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and deforestation regulations in trade negotiations, and the EU's concerns regarding India's human rights situation and stance towards Russia constitute core disagreements. Furthermore, issues such as India's protectionist trade policies versus the EU's market access demands, and the mismatch between the scale and potential of bilateral investments, urgently need resolution. The report provides an authoritative reference for understanding the possibilities and limitations of strategic collaboration between the EU and India amidst shifting geopolitical dynamics.