Laraveys Mahmoudi
For the first time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are set to be chief guests at India’s 2026 Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on 26 January. Building on the February 2025 milestone visit of the College of Commissioners to India, the European Union and India launched a Joint Communication outlining a ‘New Strategic EU–India Agenda’ in September 2025. This new agenda aims to render engagement more cohesive and actionable and elevate cooperation to a more strategic level than had previously been achieved. Although this reflects recognition of India as a strategic partner, the EU must decide whether to leverage its own concerns more assertively and push for closer alignment on values and foreign policy or to consolidate practical cooperation by remaining quiet on areas of contention amidst India facing sustained pressure from the United States.
India’s relations with the EU, including its earlier iterations, date back to the early 1960s, culminating in the launch of a formal Strategic Partnership at their fifth bilateral summit in 2004. This framework, later refined through the 2005 Joint Action Plan, was built on democratic rhetoric and an ambition to enhance cooperation across trade, investment and institutional dialogue. However, many of these aspirations remained unrealised throughout the 2010s, and the partnership frequently fell short of its stated potential. Trade negotiations highlight this uneven trajectory. Discussions on a free-trade agreement (FTA) began in 2007 but stalled in 2013, only regaining momentum nearly a decade later. Revival of negotiations in 2022 coincided with India’s growing emphasis on economic liberalisation and the EU’s pursuit of resilient supply chains and expanded market access. Since then, negotiations have proceeded in parallel with discussions on an Investment Protection Agreement, aimed at securing fair conditions for investors, and a Geographical Indications Agreement, focused on intellectual property protection of distinctive regional goods, both of which have yet to be concluded.
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