FTA push, defence ties at core of EU’s new strategic agenda with India

The European Commission and the EU High Representative on Wednesday adopted a Joint Communication outlining a new strategic agenda to elevate the India-EU partnership to a higher level, building on the historic visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India earlier this year.

The blueprint acknowledges India’s rising global stature, economic weight, security role, technological capability and demographic advantage, identifying it as a “natural strategic partner” with shared political will and complementary strengths.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said that time has arrived to focus on reliable partners and double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values.

”With our new EU–India strategy, we are taking our relationship to the next level. Advancing trade, investment and talent mobility. Strengthening our joint economic security. Advancing the clean transition and driving innovation together. Deepening our industrial cooperation in defence,” Ursula said.

She said that Europe is already India’s biggest trading partner and they are committed to finalising the Free Trade Agreement by the end of the year. “Europe is open for business. And we are ready to invest in our shared future with India,” she said.

Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission, said that India is one of the most important players in the world today and a natural partner for the European Union.

”There are many areas where our interests, strengths and political will align. Boosting our collaboration—which we are proposing today—will benefit the security and prosperity of citizens and businesses on both sides. There are areas where we disagree. Ultimately our partnership is about defending a rules-based international order. Our negotiations will address these challenges,” she said.

The agenda is structured around five pillars — Prosperity and Sustainability; Technology and Innovation; Security and Defence; Connectivity and Global Issues; and Enablers Across Pillars.

On the economic front, the strategy calls for concluding negotiations on the long-pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement by the end of 2025, alongside efforts to strengthen supply chains, advance clean energy transition and build resilience. “India and the EU are becoming indispensable partners in de-risking efforts,” the document notes.

In technology, the two sides aim to expand cooperation in critical areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, high-performance computing and space. Security and defence engagement is also being scaled up, with emphasis on countering both traditional and hybrid threats. The agenda pointedly referred to the Pahalgam attack as a “tragic reminder of terrorism’s human cost”.

Connectivity initiatives, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), trilateral cooperation and reforms in global governance, form another priority. Enablers such as skills mobility, knowledge exchange and institutional collaboration will underpin the framework.

The EU underlined its commitment to work with India to finalise a Comprehensive Strategic Agenda for adoption at the next India-EU Summit.