Existing EU-India institutional mechanisms, related to climate change and sustainable development

Updated 02.03.2010

The website of the Delegation of the European Commission to India, Bhutan and Nepal is a useful source of information. Visit the website here.

EU-India Summit

The EU-India Summits are annual meetings, with agendas that cover many aspects of the cooperation between the European Union and India, including climate change and sustainable development. The first Summit was in Lisbon on 28 June 2000. The 5th Summit in 2004 declared India and the EU to be Strategic Partners and in 2005, a Joint Action Plan was agreed. The Joint Action Plan was recently revised during the 9th Summit held in Marseille, France, in September 2008. Taking place alternately in India and the Member State that holds the EU Presidency, Summits are attended by, on the European side, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council, the Foreign Minister of the country presiding the European Council, the High Representative for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, and the European Commissioner for Trade. India is generally represented by the Prime Minister, the Minister for Commerce and Industry, the Minister of State for External Affairs and the National Security Adviser.

The Annual Summits are part of the general external policy of the European Union – the European Union holds annual summits with each key player around the world. The Summits are used to make a general assessment of relations and to establish new priorities for the coming year. They have notably given the impetus to create most of the bilateral bodies related to climate change and sustainable development.

Last meeting: 06 November 2009, New Delhi, India

Link to: Joint Statement, cooperation agreement in fusion energy research, website of the Swedish Presidency of the EU

Last meeting: 29 September 2008, Marseille, France

Link to: Joint Press Communique, Revised Joint Action Plan, Joint Work Programme on energy, clean development and climate change

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EU-India Troika Ministerial Meeting

On the same model as for the Summit, the European Union holds a Troika with each key player around the world as part of its general external policy. Much older than the Summits, the EU-India Troika has been held annually for 20 years. The latest Troika meeting, the 20th meeting, was in Delhi on 29 June 2009. Attending are the Foreign Minister of the member state holding the EU presidency, the Foreign Minister of the member state holding next the EU presidency, representatives of the European Commission and the Council, and the Indian foreign minister. Together with the EU-India Summit, the Troika is the key institutional structure facilitating regular high level contact between India and the European Union. It enables the exchange of views on global, international, bilateral and regional issues; climate change and sustainable development are discussed when the context is appropriate. It also serves as a preparatory to the EU-India Summits.

Last meeting: 29 June 2009, Prague, Czech Republic

Link to: Remarks by External Affairs Minister Shri S.M. Krishna at press conference at Prague, Press Conference after the meeting

Last meeting: 30 May 2008, Delhi, India

Link to: press release

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Civil Society Round Table

The decision to set up an EU-India Civil Society Round Table was made at the EU-India Ministerial meeting in Helsinki in December 1999 and endorsed at the first EU-India Summit in Lisbon in June 2000. The first Round Table was held in New Delhi on 29-30 January 2001 and the latest one was held in Paris, France, on 15-16 July 2008. The two-day annual Round Table consists of 30 members, 15 from each side, the European Union being represented by the European Economic and Social Committee, and India represented by equivalent key people from business and industry, media, academic, NGOs and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Defined as a “forum for civil society cooperation”, the Round Table deals with many topics likely to affect civil society in the European Union and India and is free to decide the agenda. Climate change and sustainable development are frequently discussed, as they were, for example, during the latest meeting in July 2008.

Recommendations from Round Table meetings are submitted to the EU-India Summit, which decides whether or not to act upon them.  Having an informal approach, the Round Table aims to strengthen the dialogue between civil societies but no concrete decisions or actions are necessarily taken.  An India-EU Civil Society Internet Forum was set up in May 2007 in order to give a greater visibility to the Round Table.

Last meeting: 15-16 July 2008, Paris, France

Link to: recommendations

Next meeting: The Round Table was not held in 2009 due to elections in India and changes in the posts from the Indian side at the Round Table. However, a Trade and Development Workshop was organised at the India Habitat Centre by the European Economic and Social Committee and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry on 24th September. See press release here.

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EU-India Business Summit

The Business Summit was launched as a result of the first EU-India Summit in Lisbon, in June 2000. It annually brings together high-level business and political leaders from India and the EU, including the Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry, the EU Trade Commissioner and the Prime Minister of the Member State presiding the European Union. It is organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and their European counterparts. Similar in nature to the Civil Society Round Table, the Business Summit is a forum for key Indian and European leaders where they can discuss and “understand the internalization processes and the dynamics of sector specific wants and needs of both the EU and India”. Discussions have already included energy (renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy security), climate change, research and development, GHG emissions coming from business and industries, and business and technology centre. The Business Summit proposed the establishment of a broad-based trade agreement, which was endorsed by the political EU-India Summit in 2006.

Last meeting: 6 November 2009, New Delhi, India

Link to: agenda, report from the Swedish Presidency of the EU, report from the EU Delegation to India

Last meeting: 30 September 2008, Paris, France

Link to: agenda

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EU-India Science and Technology Steering Committee

The Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement signed on 23rd November 2001 began collaboration on science and technology between India and the EU.  The Science and Technology Steering Committee gathered for the first time in March 2004 and meets annually in order to implement the Agreement (the latest meeting was held in Delhi on 13 January 2010). The Committee is composed of representatives from DG Research, and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India. Their meetings decide on the focus areas of cooperation, establish EU-Indian funded work programmes and have organised several EU-India thematic workshops in areas such as materials research, transport research, health, biotechnology, climate change and the launch of a coordinated call for proposals. For example workshops were organised on climate change and sustainable development, on clean coal technologies and carbon capture storage, on climate change research needs and on renewable energy research and technology development.

In addition to this bilateral collaboration, India has been taking part in the European Framework Programmes since mid-80s and participated (through Indian researchers or organisations) in 80 projects during the 6th Programme (FP6), spanning from 2002 to 2006, of which 20 fell into the category “sustainable development, global change and ecosystems”. The 7th Programme (FP7) covers the period 2007-2013. Some 130 Indian research organisations have already been short listed for funding in over 90 projects. The Indian participation in FP7 is expected to be much stronger than in FP6.

Two projects to help increase the EU-India cooperation on science and technology have been funded under FP7: EUINEC and New INDIGO.

Last meeting: 13 January 2010, New Delhi, India

Last meeting: 2 October 2008, Brussels, Belgium

Link to: website

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EU-India Energy Panel

Following the decision at the 5th EU-India Summit in 2004 to create an Energy Panel, the Panel was officially set up in June 2005. It meets every year with the participation of DG Energy, the Indian Foreign Secretary and the Indian Ministry of Power. The Panel acts as a platform to analyse the joint and individual progress made in the energy sector (clean coal technologies, energy efficiency, environment friendly energy, energy market), to share experience and knowledge, and to explore areas of cooperation and joint projects. Four working groups have been created: EU-India Coal and Clean Coal Technologies; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Fusion Energy/India’s participation in the ITER project; Petroleum and Natural Gas. They all meet once a year and report to the Energy Panel. Four studies in coal/clean coal and energy efficiency/renewable energy are planned to be financed by the Action Plan Support Facility. The last meeting of the Energy Panel was on 6 October 2009. The Panel, together with its working groups, is the main EU-India body that deals with energy related to climate change.

Last meeting of the Panel: 6 October 2009, Brussels Belgium

Last meeting of the Panel: 8 September 2008, Delhi, India

Link to: website

Last meeting of the Working Group on clean and clean coal technologies: 27-28 November 2008

Link to: minutes of 20 June 2008 meeting

Last meeting of the Working Group on energy efficiency and renewable energy: 31 January 2007

Link to: minutes

Last meeting on petroleum and natural gas: 26 November 2007

Link to: minutes

Last meeting of the Working Group on fusion energy: India and the EU signed a cooperation agreement in the field of fusion energy research on 6th November 2009

Link to: Cooperation Agreement News Alert

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EU-India Initiative on Clean Development and Climate Change

The Initiative was launched in 2005 during the 6th Summit in New Delhi. The focus is on voluntary practical measures, clean technology cooperation, the Clean Development Mechanism, adaptation and policy dialogue. The initiative has led to various workshops/seminars (for example on CDM and adaptation – the last one was in May 2009, click here for more info) and has set up a Joint Working Group on Environment between the European Commission and India. This joint working group takes place annually and exchanges information on environment policies, compares views on multilateral developments and aims to enhance the bilateral cooperation. The Initiative, together with its joint working group on environment, is the main body that deals with climate change and sustainable development as a whole.

Last meeting of the EC-India JWG: 4 December 2009, Brussels, Belgium

Last meeting of the EC-India JWG: 15 September 2008, Mumbai, India

Link to: website

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Action Plan Support Facility

Following the EU-India Summit in 2005, the Action Plan Support Facility was created to generate financial support for implementing the EU-India Joint Action Plan. The Support Facility is based in New Delhi and has its own staff. It deals with five key areas, of which one is dedicated to environment. Support for the environment component comes through providing technical assistance, advice and expertise in five priority sectors: waste, water, climate change, air pollution and chemicals. The project began in February 2008 and the activities started in December 2008. A preparation of a detailed activity plan and necessary background information on response to climate change in India is on-going. Are under consideration a seminar on green buildings, a workshop on sustainable production and consumption, and a workshop on energy efficiency with a focus on labelling of appliances.

Link to: website

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European Parliament Delegation for Relations with India

The Delegation was established very recently, on 12 April 2007, but the first contacts between MPs from both sides started in 1981. From 1981 until 2007, the European Parliament maintained contact with its Indian counterpart (Lok Sabha) through the Delegation for Relations with the Countries of South Asia and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Responding to pressing requests and needs to set up a separate Delegation, the Delegation to India was eventually created. The Delegation is chaired by Graham Watson MEP (it was previously Neena Gill MEP) and is composed of 21 other MEPs, plus 21 substitutes. Click here to view the members list. Members of the Delegation meet less than once a month. External participants can be invited to take part in the meetings, including representatives from the European Commission, the Council, the European Court of Auditors, or also Indian business. Representatives of the Indian Embassy are always present, which constitutes the main Indian contact point for the Delegation. Concrete contacts between MEPs and Indian MPs are also made through visits of the Delegation’s members to India, visits of the Indian counterparts to Europe, and irregular visits from the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. There are also occasional visits from State Legislature’s delegations to the European Parliament.

The objective of the Delegation is to enhance political, economic and cultural relations with India, with a particular emphasis on parliamentary diplomacy. Climate change and sustainable development are not systematically debated but instead discussed when the political context is appropriate. Members debate current political events, report on other meetings/summits involving India and the EU and plan the visits of the Delegation to India. Click here to view the programme of activity in 2010.

On the Indian side, an India-EP Parliamentary Friendship Group was formally established on 5 June 2008, following a request by the European Parliament. It is composed of 22 members from both the Lok Sabha and the Raja Sabha.

Next visit of the EP Delegation to India: May 2010

Next visit of the India-EP Friendship Group to Europe: October 2010

Last meeting: 20 January 2010, Brussels, Belgium

Link to: agenda

Last meeting: 10 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium

Link to: minutes

Last meeting: 30 September 2009, Brussels, Belgium

Link to: minutes, draft programme of Delegation activity in 2010, members list

Last meeting: 5 March 2009, Strasbourg, France

Link to: minutes of 5 March 2009 meeting, Summary of Delegation activities 2004-2009

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European Business and Technology Centre

The European New Delhi-based Centre has been operating since October 2008 and acts as a platform between business, science and research institutions in order to build stronger business links and foster collaboration between India and the EU. It was set up by Eurochambres and 16 other European partners including business organisations, academic and research institutes. A high-level group of Indian business and technology experts - the Indian Counterparts Committee - is planned to meet twice a year and act in an advisory and expertise capacity for the Centre.

The objectives of the EBTC are multiple: to develop business to business links, research co-operation, assist technology transfer and foster public and private partnership, in sectors such as environment, energy, clean development, climate change. The main objective of the Centre is to “establish a sustainable centre that will become the point of reference for European companies and researchers keen to enter the Indian market”. The Centre organises seminars, workshops and trade fairs in order to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and technology and develop the network of European and Indian stakeholders. It also acts as a “Service Provider Pool” in order to deliver expertise and knowledge to companies and research institutions.

The EBTC focuses on four key sectors: biotechnology, energy, environment and transport. The environment cluster focus areas are CDM, waste water, clean air technology, waste management and chemical management. The energy cluster focus areas are among others renewables (wind, solar, hydro, biomass...), CCS and energy efficiency.

Link to: Press release on EBG-EBTC Climate Summit, 25th February 2010, Delhi

Link to: website, forthcoming events

Launch: 1 October 2008, Delhi, India