EU-India Relations: The Strategic Partnership in the Light of the European Union Global Strategy (Contributions to International Relations)

India and the European Union bear a particular responsibility: as international relations change, not least because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the two largest democracies in the world have the unique potential to jointly demonstrate that trusting cooperation and mutual understanding are both indispensable and fruitful―all the more so in the context of increasing national egoism and disregard for the fundamental principles of multilateralism.

This realisation is not new. Believing in the necessity and mutual benefit of close cooperation, India and the EU struck a strategic partnership in 2004. But resounding success in forging closer bilateral ties and promoting an inclusive, rules-based global order has proved elusive. Since 2016, however, the EU’s Global Strategy has offered new opportunities for a restart of European foreign policy, envisaging new partnerships and recalibrating existing ones. On India’s part, too, changing stances have presented new openings―with New Delhi criticising protectionism and calling for a strengthening of multilateralism.

This timely book scrutinises the status quo and the future potential of revitalised EU-India relations. By exploring and analysing conceptual approaches to and key dimensions of the strategic partnership, including trade, climate policy and development cooperation, it evaluates the prospects for future cooperation. Lastly, it offers policy recommendations for advancing the partnership between India and the EU.

Philipp Gieg is a postdoctoral researcher and member of faculty at the Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies and International Relations, Institute of Political Science and Sociology, University of Würzburg, Germany. He has recently completed his Ph.D. on India’s Africa policy.

Timo Lowinger is a member of faculty and researcher at the Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies and International Relations, Institute of Political Science and Sociology, University of Würzburg, Germany. He is also the coordinator of the DAAD project “Foundations of the Indo-European Strategic Partnership.”

Manuel Pietzko is a member of faculty and researcher at the Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies and International Relations, Institute of Political Science and Sociology, University of Würzburg, Germany.

Anja Zürn is a member of faculty and researcher at the Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies and International Relations, Institute of Political Science and Sociology, University of Würzburg, Germany.

Ummu Salma Bava is Chairperson and Jean Monnet Chair, Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. She is a member of the Academic Advisory Board, German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, and was member of the Research Advisory Council of Germany’s leading think tank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP).

Gisela Müller-Brandeck-Bocquet holds the professorship of European Studies and International Relations at the Institute for Political Science and Sociology at the University of Würzburg, Germany. The European Commission has also awarded her a Jean Monnet Chair for excellent research and teaching activities. She is the convenor of the DAAD project “Foundations of the Indo-European Strategic Partnership.”