What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the EU-India Strategic Partnership established in 2004,

– having regard to the joint statement of the 15th EU-India summit of 15 July 2020, to the document entitled ‘EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025’ adopted at the summit and to the other joint statements signed recently by the EU and India,

– having regard to the Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of India on partnership and development of 1994,

– having regard to the joint communication of the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) and the Commission of 20 November 2018 entitled ‘Elements for an EU strategy on India’ (JOIN(2018)0028) and the related Council conclusions on the EU Strategy on India of 10 December 2018,

– having regard to the joint communication of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 16 September 2021 entitled ‘The EU Strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’ (JOIN(2021)0024),

– having regard to the joint communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the update of the EU Maritime Security Strategy and its Action Plan ‘An enhanced EU Maritime Security Strategy for evolving maritime threats’ of 10 March 2023 (JOIN(2023)0008),

– having regard to the ‘Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy - Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe’ of June 2016,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe,

– having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence approved by the Council on 21 March 2022,

– having regard to the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia over Ukraine,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 20 February 2023 on EU priorities in UN human rights fora in 2023,

– having regard to the EU thematic guidelines on human rights, including those on human rights defenders, on human rights dialogues and on the protection and promotion of freedom of religion or belief,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,

– having regard to the UN General Assembly resolution on aggression against Ukraine adopted on 2 March 2022,

– having regard to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the Paris Agreement,

– having regard to the 2022 United Nations Universal Periodic Review of India,

– having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2021 on connectivity and EU-Asia relations,

– having regard to its resolution of 5 July 2022 on EU-India future trade and investment cooperation,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 June 2022 on the EU and the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific,

– having regard to its resolution of 13 September 2017 on EU political relations with India,

– having regard to its resolution of 13 July 2023 on India, the situation in Manipur,

– having regard to its recommendation of 29 April 2021 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning EU-India relations,

– having regard to the press statement of the Delegation to India and Bhutan on the 10th round of the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue held on 15 July 2022,

– having regard to the conclusions of the G20 Summit held in New Delhi on 9 and 10 September 2023,

– having regard to the forthcoming EU-India summit to be held in New Delhi,

– having regard to Rule 118 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9-0435/2023),

B. whereas India is set to hold parliamentary elections in May and June 2024 and the European Parliament will hold its elections in June 2024;

C. whereas in 2022, the EU and India marked the 60th anniversary of their bilateral partnership; whereas this partnership has gained momentum in recent years, reflecting the strong political, economic, social and cultural ties and a renewed political will to strengthen their partnership across a number of sectors and policy areas; whereas this partnership has, however, not yet reached its full potential;

D. whereas bilateral relations between EU Member States and India on issues such as connectivity and climate contribute to the EU-India partnership; whereas geopolitical challenges have strengthened the shared interest of the EU and India in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development;

E. whereas bilateral and multilateral cooperation with India is particularly warranted in the current context of a polycrisis, including geopolitical challenges, democratic backsliding worldwide, a spiralling climate crisis, heightened inequalities and increasing great power competition; whereas the EU seeks a partnership based on a level playing field with India as this partnership has the potential to allow for the diversification of its supply chains and to positively contribute to global and regional prosperity and stability and the upholding of a shared vision of effective multilateralism and a rules-based multilateral order;

F. whereas India’s regional and global importance and relevance are growing as it has surpassed China as the most populous country in 2023 and as it is positioning itself as a regional economic and military power and is strengthening partnerships as well as boosting economic and defence ties in particular across Southeast Asia; whereas the EU is India’s largest trading partner and it is in the mutual interest of both sides to foster closer economic ties;

G. whereas through its strategic framework vested in its Global Strategy, its Strategy on India, its Strategy for EU-Asia Connectivity and the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy the EU recognises India’s growing geostrategic importance and underlines the need to cooperate in the global arena and converge on a common agenda;

H. whereas India’s growing regional and global significance is reflected by its G20 Presidency in 2023, which began on 1 December, and its membership of the UN Security Council in 2021-2022 as well as of the UN Human Rights Council in 2019-2022 and 2022-2024;

I. whereas the Indian Ocean has become a global centre of interest with strategic importance for global trade and of vital economic and strategic interest for both the EU and India; whereas one of the Member States of the European Union has outermost regions and overseas countries and territories in the Indo-Pacific; whereas the EU and India share a common interest in de-risking the relationship with China and positioning themselves jointly on the latter’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific and globally; whereas the EU’s Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific of 2021 emphasised partnerships and cooperation as ways to respond to geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific and identified cooperation with India as one of the EU’s priorities in the region; whereas the EU and India have a convergent interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific region open, free and safe, focusing on sustaining the region as an area of fair competition, undisrupted sea lines of communication (SLOC), stability and security; whereas on 5 October 2023, EU and India held their third India-EU Maritime Security Dialogue;

J. whereas over one third of all European exports go to the Indo-Pacific region most of them transit through the sea lanes in the Indian and Pacific Oceans; whereas the EU is dependent on unimpeded maritime highways that pass through the Indo-Pacific and has therefore a clear interest in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region;

K. whereas India has sought to diversify partnerships and has strengthened relations among others with Japan, Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the economic, security, maritime and diplomatic fields, seeking further integration with Southeast Asia and deepening strategic cooperation;

L. whereas EU and Indian leadership is needed to promote effective climate diplomacy, a global commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the global protection of the climate, the environment and biodiversity;

M. whereas local and international human rights monitors report that human rights defenders and journalists in India are subjected to reprisals for their work, including harassment, arbitrary detention, serious criminal charges under repressive legislation (including counter-terrorism legislation); whereas, despite being prohibited, caste-based discrimination remains a systemic problem in India;

N. whereas the India-EU Trade and Technology Council was established on 6 February 2023;

O. whereas negotiations with India on a free trade agreement (FTA) are ongoing; whereas separate negotiations on an Investment Protection Agreement and an Agreement on Geographical Indications (GIs) with the aim of strengthening the strategic partnership are also ongoing;

1. Recommends that the Council, Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:

The EU-India Strategic Partnership: the institutional framework

(a) continue to broaden and deepen EU-India relations as strategic partners and to uphold the commitment to regular multi-level dialogues and summits; pursue a ‘Team Europe’ approach to the partnership;

(b) highlight that in the current international environment, both the EU and India face pressing security challenges, which require a diplomatic response coupled with strengthened deterrence, and cooperation between democratic states;

(c) make tangible advances on priority areas of the partnership, in particular climate change and green growth, digitalisation and new technologies, research and development, connectivity, trade and investment, foreign, security and defence policy and human rights and the rule of law;

(d) continue to promote and fully implement the EU Strategy on India of 2018 and the EU-India Roadmap to 2025 in close coordination with Member States’ own actions to actively engage with India; establish clear and publicly available criteria for measuring progress on the roadmap;

(e) based on the review of the implementation of the EU-India Roadmap 2025 and taking into account the perspectives and needs of all parties, start preparations for an ambitious, multifaceted and thoroughly revamped partnership and cooperation;