On Wednesday 13 September, MEPs advocated "stronger political involvement" from the EU and India "for a more dynamic and fruitful relationship as regards the challenges they must address at regional and international level".
The MEPs thus concurred with the report by Cristian Dan Preda (EPP, Romania) on the EU's political relations with India (520 votes in favour, 73 against and 86 abstentions) and underlined their "full adherence to strengthening and deepening" this partnership, which they describe as "precious". They also wanted the scope and intensity of these relations to be strengthened.
Hailing the adoption of the 2020 action plan between the EU and India, the European Parliament recommends adopting "a coherent strategy that is structured around clear priorities", and that this be implemented "in a coherent and coordinated manner" by the EU institutions and member states. "The Union's priorities on India should also be defined in the framework of an updated strategy for relations between the Union and Asia", they add.
The MEPs also highlight people-to-people exchanges, which should be "one of the main dimensions of the strategic partnership between the Union and India".
In its report, the Parliament urges the two parties to continue negotiations on an ambitious comprehensive free trade agreement between the EU and India, "with a view to concluding this agreement as soon as possible, in a spirit of reciprocity and mutual interest". In the meantime, the Parliament calls for investment to be stepped up to strengthen links between the EU-27 and India. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)