1.#Opinion: Friday 28, February 2025, 09:00. 3849./ 2. ## PM NEWS UPDATES: Opening Address by PM at the Plenary Session with the President of the European Commission (February 28, 2025): 28 Feb, 2025. // 3.###Leaders’ Statement: Visit of Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and EU College of Commissioners to India (February 27-28, 2025): 28 Feb, 2025, /// 4.####Joint Statement: Second Meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, New Delhi: 28 Feb, 2025. ////

 

PM meets the President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula Von Der Leyen at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 28, 2025.

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1.#Opinion: Friday 28, February 2025, 09:00. 3849./ 

2. ## PM NEWS UPDATES: Opening Address by PM at the Plenary Session with the President of the European Commission (February 28, 2025): 28 Feb, 2025. //

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Your Excellencies,

I warmly welcome you all to India. The engagement of the EU College of Commissioners with a single country on such a broad scale is unprecedented.

It’s the first time that so many of my ministers have collected together for any bilateral discussions. I remember how you said that India and the EU are natural partners at the Raisina Dialogue in 2022. And that strengthening and energizing ties with India, will be a priority for the EU in the coming decade.

And now, you’re visiting India at the very beginning of your new term.This is a milestone moment for India and the EU.

Excellencies,

The world is currently undergoing unprecedented change. AI and emerging technologies are leading to socio-economic transformations.

Geo-economic and political circumstances are rapidly evolving. And old equations are breaking down. In times like these, the partnership between India and the EU becomes even more important.

A shared belief in democratic values, strategic autonomy, and rule-based global order unite India and the EU.Both countries are mega diverse market economies. In a sense, we are natural strategic partners.

Excellencies,

India and the EU have completed twenty years of strategic partnership. And with your visit, we are laying the foundation for the next decade.

In this context, the remarkable commitment shown by both parties is commendable. About twenty ministerial level meetings have taken place in the last two days.

The Trade and Technology Council meeting was also successfully organised this morning. Both teams will present a report on the ideas generated and the progress made.

Excellencies,

I would like to identify some priority areas of cooperation.

The first is Trade and Investment. It is crucial to conclude a mutually beneficial FTA and Investment Protection Agreement as soon as possible.

The second is strengthening the Supply Chain Resilience. Our capabilities can complement each other in sectors such as Electronics, Semiconductors, Telecom, Engineering, Defence, and Pharma.This will strengthen diversification and de-risking, and will aid in the creation of a secure, reliable and trusted supply and value chain.

The third is Connectivity. The IMEC Corridor launched during the G20 Summit is a transformational initiative. Both the teams must continue working on it with strong commitment.

The fourth is Technology and Innovation. To realise our shared vision of tech sovereignty, we must continue to make swift progress ahead. In areas such as DPI, AI, Quantum Computing, Space and 6G, both parties must work together to connect our industries, innovators, and young talents.

The fifth is Climate Action and Green Energy Innovation. India and the EU have prioritised the Green transition. Through cooperation in sustainable urbanization, water, and clean energy, we can become drivers of global green growth.

The sixth is Defence. We can fulfil each others’ needs through co-development and co-production. We must work to prioritise each other in export control laws.

The seventh is Security. There is a need for greater cooperation on challenges arising from terrorism, extremism, maritime security, cyber security and space security.

The eighth is People-to-People Ties. It should be a priority for both parties to make Migration, Mobility, Schengen Visas and EU Blue Cards simple and smooth. This stands to fulfil the needs of the EU. And India’s young workforce shall be able to make an even greater contribution to Europe’s growth and prosperity.

Excellencies,

For the next India-EU Summit, we must move forward with ambition, action and commitment.

In today’s AI era, the future shall belong to those who demonstrate vision and speed.

Excellency, I now invite you to share your thoughts.

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3.###Leaders’ Statement: Visit of Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and EU College of Commissioners to India (February 27-28, 2025): 28 Feb, 2025, ///

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ms. Ursula von der Leyen affirmed that the EU-India Strategic Partnership has delivered strong benefits for their peoples and for the larger global good. They committed to raise this partnership to a higher-level, building upon 20 years of India-EU Strategic Partnership and over 30 years of India-EC Cooperation Agreement.

President von der Leyen was on her landmark official visit as she led the European Union College of Commissioners to India on 27-28 February 2025. This is the first visit of the College of Commissioners outside the European continent since the start of their new mandate and also the first such visit in the history of India-EU bilateral ties.

As the two largest democracies and open market economies with diverse pluralistic societies, India and EU underscored their commitment and shared interest in shaping a resilient multipolar global order that underpins peace and stability, economic growth and sustainable development.

The leaders agreed that shared values and principles including democracy, rule of law, and the rules-based international order in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter make India and the EU like-minded and trusted partners. The India-EU Strategic partnership is needed now, more than ever, to jointly address global issues, foster stability, and promote mutual prosperity.

In this context, they stressed the importance of intensifying cooperation between India and Europe in trade and de-risking of supply chains, investment, emerging critical technologies, innovation, talent, digital and green industrial transition, space and geospatial sectors, defence and people-to-people contacts. They also highlighted the need to cooperate on tackling common global challenges, including climate change, the governance of Artificial Intelligence, development finance, and terrorism in an interdependent world.

The two leaders welcomed the progress made by the second ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) that took place during the visit in fostering deeper collaboration and strategic co-ordination at the intersection of trade, trusted technology, and green transition.

They also welcomed the specific outcomes emerging from deliberations conducted between the EU College of Commissioners and their Indian counterpart Ministers.

The leaders committed to as follows:

i. Task their respective negotiating teams to pursue negotiations for a balanced, ambitious, and mutually beneficial FTA with the aim of concluding them within the course of the year, recognizing the centrality and importance of growing India EU trade and economic relations. The leaders asked the officials to work as trusted partners to enhance market access and remove trade barriers. They also tasked them to advance negotiations on an Agreement on Investment Protection and an Agreement on Geographical Indications.

ii. Direct the India-EU Trade and Technology Council to further deepen its engagement to shape outcome-oriented cooperation in areas of economic security and supply chain resilience, market access and barriers to trade, strengthening of semiconductor ecosystems, trustworthy and sustainable Artificial Intelligence, high-performance computing, 6G, Digital Public Infrastructure, joint research and innovation for green and clean energy technologies with a focus on trusted partnerships and industry linkages across these sectors, including the recycling of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), marine plastic litter, and waste to green/renewable hydrogen. In this context, they welcomed the progress in the implementation of MoU on semiconductors for boosting the semiconductor supply chains, leveraging complementary strengths, facilitating talent exchanges and fostering semiconductor skills among students and young professionals; as well as the signing of MoU between Bharat 6G alliance and the EU 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association for creating secured and trusted telecommunications and resilient supply chains.

iii. Further expand and deepen cooperation under India-EU partnerships in areas of connectivity, clean energy and climate, water, smart and sustainable urbanization, and disaster management as well as work to intensify cooperation in specific areas such as clean hydrogen, offshore wind, solar energy, sustainable urban mobility, aviation, and railways. In this context, they welcomed the agreement on holding an India-EU Green Hydrogen Forum and the India-EU Business Summit on Offshore Wind Energy.

iv. Develop new specific areas of co-operation identified during the bilateral discussions between the EU Commissioners and Indian Ministers to be reflected in the future joint Strategic Agenda to drive mutual progress.

v. Undertake concrete steps for the realization of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) announced during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, deepen their cooperation in the framework of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT 2.0), and Global Biofuels Alliance.

vi. Strengthen people-to-people ties especially in the areas of higher education, research, tourism, culture, sports, and between their youths, and create an enabling environment for enhancing such exchanges. Also to promote legal, safe and orderly migration in areas of skilled workforce and professionals in view of India’s growing human capital and taking into account EU member states’ demographic profile and labour market needs.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to promote a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific built on international law and mutual respect for sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes underpinned by effective regional institutions. India welcomed the EU joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). Both sides also committed to explore trilateral co-operation including in Africa and the Indo-Pacific.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at growing cooperation in the defence and security domain, including joint exercises and collaboration between Indian Navy and EU Maritime security entities. The EU side welcomed India’s interest in joining the projects under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) as well as to engage in negotiations for a Security of Information Agreement (SoIA). The leaders also committed to explore a security and defence partnership. They reiterated their commitment to international peace and security, including maritime security by tackling traditional and non-traditional threats to safeguard trade & sea lanes of communication. They emphasised the need to deepen collaboration in counter terrorism and to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism, including cross-border terrorism and terrorism financing in a comprehensive and sustained manner.

The two leaders also discussed key international and regional issues, including on the situation in the Middle-East and the war in Ukraine. They expressed support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on respect for international law, principles of the UN charter and territorial integrity and sovereignty. They also reiterated their commitment to the vision of the two-State solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, consistent with international law.

The Leaders recognized the productive and forward-looking nature of the discussions and agreed on the following concrete steps:

(i) Expedite the conclusion of the FTA by the end of the year.

(ii) Further focused discussions on defence industry and policy to explore opportunities from new initiatives and programmes.

(iii) A review meeting with partners to take stock on the IMEC initiative.

(iv) Engage on maritime domain awareness with a view to promoting shared assessment, coordination and interoperability.

(v) Convene the next meeting of the TTC at an early date to deepen cooperation in semiconductors and other critical technologies.

(vi) Enhance the dialogue on clean and green energy between governments and industry, with a focus on green hydrogen.

(vii) Strengthening collaboration in the Indo-Pacific including through trilateral cooperation projects.

(viii) Strengthen cooperation on Disaster Management through the development of appropriate arrangements including on policy and technical level engagement for preparedness, response capacities and coordination.

Both leaders expressed confidence that this momentous visit will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further expand and deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership. They looked forward to the next India EU Summit being organized in India at the earliest mutually convenient time and to the adoption of a new joint Strategic Agenda on that occasion. President von der Leyen thanked Prime Minister Modi for his warm hospitality.

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4.####Joint Statement: Second Meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, New Delhi: 28 Feb, 2025. ////

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The second meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) took place in New Delhi on 28 February 2025. It was co-chaired on the Indian side by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar; Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal; and Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw. Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Ms. Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency Mr. Maros Šefčovič and Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ms Ekaterina Zaharieva co-chaired on the EU side.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had established the India-EU TTC in April 2022 as a key bilateral platform to address challenges at the confluence of trade, trusted technology and security. India and the European Union, as two large and vibrant democracies with open market economies, shared values and pluralistic societies, are natural partners in a multipolar world.

The deepening of bilateral relations and the growing strategic convergence between the EU and India respond to the shifting dynamics of the global geopolitical landscape and a common interest in promoting global stability, economic security, and sustainable and inclusive growth. In that respect, both sides emphasized again the importance of the rules-based international order and the full respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency, and peaceful resolution of disputes. The TTC reflects a shared acknowledgement between the EU and India of the increasingly critical links between trade and technology, the potential of cooperation on these issues to enhance the economies of both partners, and the need to work together on the related security challenges. Both sides note the potential of their partnership to increase resilience, strengthen connectivity and drive forward the development of green and clean technologies.

The first meeting of the India-EU TTC was held in Brussels on 16 May 2023. The TTC Ministerial Meeting provided political guidance for the way forward. Subsequently on 24 November 2023, a stock-taking meeting in virtual mode reviewed the progress made by the three TTC working groups.

Working Group 1 on Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance, and Digital Connectivity:

India and the European Union reaffirmed the importance of deepening their digital cooperation in line with their shared values through the Working Group 1 on Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance, and Digital Connectivity. Both sides committed to leverage their respective strengths to accelerate a human-centric digital transformation and the development of advanced and trustworthy digital technologies such as AI, semiconductors, High-Performance Computing and 6G, which will benefit both economies and societies. Both sides committed to work jointly to strengthen EU-India research and innovation for this purpose to further enhance competitiveness, while increasing their economic security. Both sides committed to promoting global connectivity in a cyber-secure digital ecosystem.

Recognizing the importance of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the development of open and inclusive digital economies and digital societies, India and the European Union agreed to collaborate on working towards interoperability of their respective DPIs that respect human rights and protect personal data, privacy, and intellectual property rights. Both sides further committed to jointly promote DPIs solutions to third countries and further emphasized the need of mutual recognition of e-signatures to enhance cross-border digital transactions and foster mutual economic growth.

Both sides emphasized their commitment to further strengthen the resilience of semiconductor supply chains and promote collaboration in the field of semiconductors. To that end, they agreed to explore joint R&D in the field of chip design, heterogeneous integration, sustainable semiconductor technologies, technology development for advanced processes for process design kit (PDK), among others. Both sides shall promote the strengthening of the EU and Indian semiconductor ecosystems to enhance technological capabilities and ensure supply chain resilience by developing sustainable, secure and diversified semiconductor production capacities. Furthermore, they committed to developing a dedicated programme that will facilitate talent exchanges and foster semiconductor skills among students and young professionals.

The two sides reiterated their commitment to safe, secure, trustworthy, human-centric, sustainable and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to promote this vision on the international level. In addition, with a view to ensuring continued and impactful cooperation on AI, the European AI Office and India AI Mission agreed to deepen cooperation, encouraging an ecosystem of innovation and fostering information exchange on common open research questions for developing trustworthy AI. They also agreed to enhance cooperation on large language models, and to harness the potential of AI for human development and common good, including through joint projects such as developing tools and frameworks for ethical and responsible AI. These will build on the progress made under R&D collaboration on high-performance computing applications in the areas of natural hazards, climate change, and bioinformatics.

India and the EU welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Bharat 6G Alliance and the EU 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association for aligning research and development priorities and creating secured and trusted telecommunications and resilient supply chains. Both sides will also enhance cooperation on IT and telecoms standardisation with a particular focus on promoting interoperable global standards.

Furthermore, the two sides agreed to work towards bridging the digital skills gap, explore mutual recognition of certifications, and promote legal pathways of skilled professionals and exchange of talent:

Both sides agreed to collaborate on the implementation of the Global Digital Compact, agreed by consensus at the UN General Assembly in September 2024, as a key instrument for delivering on their shared objectives. They noted the need to ensure that the forthcoming World Summit on Information Society +20 maintains global support for and enhances the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance.

Working Group 2 on Clean and Green Technologies:

India and the European Union recalled the importance of the priority workstreams identified under Working Group 2 on Clean and Green Technologies for achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and 2050 for India and the European Union, respectively. Achieving these targets will require significant investment in new clean technologies and standards. An emphasis on research and innovation (R&I) will foster technological collaboration and exchange of best practices between the EU and India. In parallel, supporting technological innovations for market uptake will enhance access to the respective markets by Indian and EU enterprises and facilitate wide adoption of innovative technologies. This opens perspectives for cooperation between Indian and EU incubators, SMEs and start-ups and building human resource capability and capacity in such technologies.

In this regard, both sides agreed on joint research cooperation through exceptional coordinated calls on recycling of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), marine plastic litter, and waste-to-hydrogen. The estimated total joint budget will be about EUR 60 million from the Horizon Europe programme and from matching Indian contributions. On recycling of batteries for EVs, the focus will be on battery circularity through different kinds of flexible/low cost/easy to recycle batteries. In marine plastic litter, the focus will be on developing technologies for detection, measurement and analysis of aquatic litter and for mitigation of the cumulative impact of pollution on the marine environment. On waste-to-hydrogen, the focus will be on developing technologies with greater efficiency to produce hydrogen from biogenic wastes.

The two sides recalled the importance of the substantive exchanges between experts in the identified areas of cooperation as the basis for future action. Indian experts have participated in a training and mutual learning exercise on EV interoperability and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) E-Mobility Lab in Ispra, Italy in January 2024. Furthermore, a joint hybrid workshop on EV Charging Technologies (Standardisation and Testing) was organised at the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, India and online, to deepen the EU-Indian dialogue and the industry’s engagement in charging infrastructure standardisation processes with India. The two sides also concluded a Matchmaking Event to identify, support and organise exchanges between Indian and EU startups in technology for recycling of batteries for EVs. Experts also jointly discussed assessment and monitoring tools for marine plastic litter. Finally, an “Ideathon” fostering EU-India collaboration to co-create practical solutions involving all stakeholders for addressing marine plastic pollution effectively is in preparation.

Both sides agreed to explore cooperation on harmonising standards for EV charging infrastructure, including cooperative, pre-normative research for harmonised testing solutions and knowledge exchange in the domain of e-mobility. They also agreed to explore how to enhance collaboration in the field of hydrogen-related safety standards, the science of standards as well as the market uptake of wastewater treatment technologies as outcomes of previous jointly conducted research projects.

Working Group 3 on Trade, Investment and Resilient Value Chains

India and the European Union noted productive discussions under Working Group 3 on Trade, Investment and Resilient Value Chains with a view to building a closer economic partnership between India and the European Union. In an increasingly challenging geopolitical context, both sides committed to work together for creating wealth and shared prosperity. The work under Working Group 3 complements the ongoing negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) and a Geographical Indications Agreement which are proceeding on separate tracks.

Both sides committed to fostering resilient and future-ready value chains by prioritizing transparency, predictability, diversification, security and sustainability. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress made on Agri-food, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Clean Technologies sectors and agreed on work plans in these three fields with the aim of promoting value chains that can withstand global challenges.

In agriculture, India and the EU intend to collaborate on contingency planning for food security and welcomed common efforts on shared research and innovations needs regarding climate-resilient practices, crop diversification and infrastructure improvements as promoted for cooperation through the G20 framework. In the pharmaceutical sector, both sides aim to enhance transparency and security in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) supply chains by mapping vulnerabilities, promoting sustainable manufacturing, and establishing early warning systems to prevent disruptions. Clean technology cooperation centers on strengthening supply chains for solar energy, offshore wind, and clean hydrogen by exchanging information on sectoral capabilities and investment incentives and Research, Development and Innovation priorities as well as on methodologies to assess vulnerabilities, discussing approaches to minimize trade barriers and exploring possible synergies of the supply chains. Across these sectors, India and the EU are working to foster investment, exchange best practices, and mitigate risks through regular dialogues, research collaborations, and business-to-business engagements, ensuring supply chain resilience and sustainable economic growth.

Both sides acknowledged that relevant priority market access issues are being addressed through cooperation within the TTC framework. The EU side appreciated the Indian initiatives to approve the marketing of several EU plant products while the Indian side appreciated the listing of a number of Indian aquaculture establishments and taking up the issue of equivalence for agricultural organic products. Both sides agreed to pursue their efforts on these topics, under the TTC review mechanism, and to continue their engagement on remaining issues flagged by each other.

The two sides noted the exchanges regarding best practices in the screening of Foreign Direct Investments, which is an area of growing importance to foster economic security:

India and the EU strengthened their commitment towards the multilateral trading system as an anchor in the current challenging geopolitical context. At the same time, they recognized the need to bring necessary reform to the WTO so that it is able to address efficiently and effectively issues of interest to Members. Both sides also recognized the importance of a functioning dispute settlement system. For this purpose, they agreed to deepen their dialogue and engagement to help the WTO deliver concrete outcomes, including at MC14.

Both sides have held in-depth discussions on trade and decarbonization through several bilateral channels and have engaged jointly with stakeholders, especially on the implementation of the EU’s carbon border mechanism (CBAM). Both sides discussed the challenges arising out of CBAM implementation, in particular for the small and medium enterprises and agreed to continue addressing them.

The co-chairs reaffirmed their commitment to expanding and deepening their engagement under the TTC and to working together to fulfill the goals laid out in this successful second meeting of the TTC. They agreed to meet again for the third meeting of TTC within one year from now.

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JAI HIND

JAI BHARAHAM

VANDHE MADHARAM

BHARAT MATHA K JAI.

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