EU plans to deepen maritime cooperation with India

The European Commission and the European External Action Service have recently adopted a ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’.^[1]  It is a rather general publication and its timing and expected outcome is not very specific. At the end, the agenda reads that “the EU stands ready to work with India on developing a Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda which could be adopted at the next EU-India Summit.” According to the Business Standard, this summit is expected to be held in New Delhi in early 2026.[2]

The strategy includes a few elements related to maritime transport, in particular maritime security, but also maritime safety and capacity building. When it comes the strategy’s link to the EU-ASEAN strategy, both are meant to be complementary. However, there are also a few differences: the EU-India strategic agenda aims for a cooperation that is more direct, military-focused, and operational, involving joint naval activities and defence-industrial elements. The EU-ASEAN cooperation is more diplomatic, institutional, and centred on multilateral dialogue and capacity building to support regional stability via the ASEAN framework.

As regards maritime security, the EU and India would among others explore “the creation of an EU-India Security and Defence Partnership” which “would (…) enable closer cooperation and joint initiatives on shared priorities such as (…) maritime security“. This could include “increasing engagement on maritime domain awareness to promote shared assessment, coordination and interoperability” as well as the protection of critical maritime infrastructure. In addition, according to the strategy, the EU “will seek to conclude arrangements between the EU naval operations and the Indian Navy to facilitate greater information sharing and cooperation in the western Indian Ocean. In addition, the EU and India could pursue joint sea activities in other areas of common interest such as the Gulf of Guinea.” 

Curbing the activities of the shadow fleet and engagement in favour of a rules-based maritime order is also mentioned as a common objective. 

On safety and environment, the strategy explains that “the EU and India should also continue to cooperate on maritime safety, including tackling the threats to the environment and to safe navigation posed by substandard shipping and risky navigation practices“.

On capacity building, the strategy expresses the EU’s readiness to “deepen cooperation with India in support of regional maritime security frameworks, helping to strengthen the capacity of coastal states to address shared challenges. This includes joint work on maritime domain awareness and strengthened support for regional information-sharing platforms such as the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre in Madagascar.” According to the strategy, “the EU and India could also work more closely together on capacity-building projects for Indian Ocean countries.” Capacity building cooperation could take the shape of a Joint EU-India Indian Ocean Cooperation and Training (IOCAT) maritime capacity building programme.[3] However, this is so far only a theoretical suggestion and at the time of writing, this is not a formally established initiative. When it comes to maritime domain awareness and information sharing, the main platform for cooperation between India and the EU is CRIMARIO[4] (Critical Maritime Routes in the Indian Ocean). India is involved in the information sharing component of this project through the Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS[5]) platform.

A recent example of cooperation, the EU and India organized a first of its kind counterterrorism training from 13 to 15 Oct 2025 to protect critical infrastructure and soft targets against emerging threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones.^[6] According to the report by the European External Action Service (EEAS), “the three-day exercise brought together senior officers, instructors and technical experts from India’s National Security Guard (NSG) and the EU’s High Risk Security Network (HRSN), and focused on the use of advanced UAS and Counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities. The peer-to-peer activity blended tactical and technological training, culminating in a joint exercise designed to strengthen interoperability and set the foundation for future collaboration.” As regards unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the exercise included “training on UAS counter-terrorism tactics in urban environments, combined with a joint tactical simulation exercise”. This “allowed NSG and HRSN units to test and strengthen real-world response capabilities. The activity will result in the drafting of standard operating procedures for integrated drone and counter-drone operations.”

[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52025JC0050&qid=1758611751949

[2] Business Standard: EU member nations back EU-India strategic agenda to boost ties, cooperation, October 23, https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/eu-member-nations-back-eu-india-strategic-agenda-to-boost-ties-cooperation-125102100673_1.html

[3] European Council of Foreign Relations: The battle for the Indian Ocean: How the EU and India can strengthen Maritime Security, https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-battle-for-the-Indian-Ocean-How-the-EU-and-India-can-strengthen-maritime-security.pdf

[4] https://crimario.eu/#

[5] https://ioris.org/

[6] European External Action Service, European Union and India carry out joint counterterrorism training to strengthen defences against drones, 15 October 2025, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india/european-union-and-india-carry-out-joint-counterterrorism-training-strengthen-defences-against_en