EU-India summit

„An Opportunity to Re-launch Relations”

The EU will host the 13th EU-India summit on 30 March 2016 in Brussels. Presidents Tusk and Juncker will represent the EU at the summit. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and the European Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström will also be present.

The summit in Brussels will be an opportunity to re-launch relations and make concrete progress on areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, energy, climate, water and migration.

EU-India partnership: Discussions will focus on the EU-India agenda for action 2020, which will set out concrete priority actions for the EU-India strategic partnership in the next 5 years. Leaders will equally address the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with an aim to instil some political impetus to the stalled talks.

On migration, the EU and India will welcome the establishment of a common agenda on migration and mobility. This agenda will cover legal migration, irregular migration, international protection and migration and development. Leaders are expected to adopt declarations on a water partnership and an energy and climate partnership. The summit will also serve to enhance cooperation on counter-terrorism, research and innovation, the digital market and human rights.

Foreign policy: Foreign policy will also be part of the the agenda. Discussions will focus on latest developments in the EU's and India's respective neighbourhoods. This includes the situations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Korea, Nepal, Syria and Ukraine.

Global issues: Leaders are expected to reaffirm the G20's key role in achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth. They are expected to underline the importance of implementing the comprehensive agenda adopted at the last G20 summit. Both sides should also agree to start a dialogue on the full and swift implementation of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development.

The EU-India strategic partnership was launched in 2004. The last EU-India summit was held in Delhi in 2012.

EU Relations with India

The European Union and the Republic of India benefit from a longstanding relationship going back to the early 1960s. The Joint Political Statement of 1993 and the 1994 Co-operation Agreement, which is the current legislative framework for cooperation, opened the door to a broad political dialogue, which evolves through annual Summits, regular ministerial and expert level meetings.

In 2004 India became one of the EU’s “Strategic Partners” (Joint Press Statement). Since 2005, the Joint Action Plan which was revised in 2008, is helping to realise the full potential of this partnership in key areas of interest for India and the EU. Current efforts are centred on: developing cooperation in the security field (in light of the EU-India Declaration on International Terrorism); ongoing negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement; and implementation of the joint work programme on climate change adopted at the Summit in 2008.

The Country Strategy Paper for India 2007-2013 (€470 million in total – a yearly average of €67 million) concentrates EU funds on health, education and the implementation of the Joint Action Plan, see also its Mid-Term Review. A Memorandum of Understanding on the Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2011-2013 was signed between the EU and India in February 2011.  A review confirmed the need to further support social sectors like health and education, in particular secondary education and vocational training. For 2011-2013, the EU intends to fund fellowships for Indian students and professors (Erasmus Mundus), as well as projects in the fields of energy, environment and trade related technical assistance.

You can find more information in our EU-India brochure