What is the India–EU Summit?
The India–EU Summit is a high-level bilateral forum between India and the to review, guide, and strengthen their strategic partnership across political, economic, security, and global governance issues.
Background
- First Summit: 2000
- Strategic Partnership: Declared in 2004
- The summit institutionalised regular leaders-level dialogue between India and the EU.
Participants
- From India: Prime Minister
- From EU:
- President of the European Council
- President of the European Commission
- Held regularly (earlier annual; now periodic depending on mutual agreement and global context).
Key Areas of Cooperation
- Trade and Investment
- Negotiations on India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
- Market access, supply-chain resilience, standards
- Technology and Digital Cooperation
- AI, semiconductors, digital public infrastructure
- India–EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) (launched in 2022)
- Climate Change and Energy
- Clean energy transition, renewables, green hydrogen
- Climate finance and sustainability standards
- Security and Geopolitics
- Indo-Pacific cooperation
- Maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyber security
- Multilateralism
- WTO reform, UN system, global governance
- Shared support for a rules-based international order
Major Outcomes Over Time
- Joint Action Plan (2005)
- India–EU Connectivity Partnership
- Trade and Technology Council (2022)
- Cooperation on climate action, digital governance, and supply-chain diversification
- Renewed momentum in FTA negotiations amid global de-risking from China
Significance for India
- Access to the world’s largest single market
- Diversification of trade and technology partnerships
- Strategic balancing in a multipolar world
- Strengthening India’s role in global rule-making
Significance for the EU
- Reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific
- Alternative manufacturing and investment destination
- Collaboration with a major democracy for strategic autonomy
Challenges
- Differences on:
- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
- Data protection and digital regulation
- Market access in agriculture and services
- Slow progress in trade negotiations in the past
