EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY IN THE EYES OF INDIA
| Published date | 01 June 2012 |
| Date | 01 June 2012 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0973598412110003 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
EuR
O
PEAN
UNI
ON F o
REIGN
P o LICY
IN
THE
EYE
S OF
INDIA
PURUSOTIA.I'v1
BHATIACHARYA
Professor
of International
Relations,
fadavpur
Unive
rsity,
Kolkata
e.mail:
purusottam.
bhattacltarya
@J
gmail.
com
T
he
development
of
India's relations
with
the
European
Union
(EU)
has
been a
slow
and
graduated
affair
over
the
past
four
decades.
India's
linkages
with
mainland
continental
Europe
in
the
wake
of
its
independence
in
1947
were
somewhat
tardy
in
developing
as
the
region was
accorded
a relatively
lower
priority
by
decision-
makers
in
New
Delhi.
The
only
exception
was
Britain
with
whom
India
had
deep
ties for historical
reasons
and
which
1
ew
Delhi
decided
to
continue
even
after
independence
on
political
and
economic
grounds.
It
was
the
British decision to join
the
European
Community
(as
it
was
known
then)
in
1961
which
acted as a catalyst
in
the
evolution
· of a multi-faceted
relationship
between
the
EU
and
India
over
the
next
four
decades
.
The
formal
relationship
with
the
EU
was
established
in
1962
and
a
modest
beginning
in establishing a
trade
relationship
was
made
in
securing
improved
access for
Indian
products
in
the
Community's
markets
when
the EU
agreed
to
suspend
at
zero
its tariff
on
tea in
bulk
and
on
certain spices
and
skins. Two
bilateral
agreements
on
jute
and
coir
were
signed
and
the
EU
agreed
to
open
duty-free
quotas
for
Indian
exports of silk
and
cotton
handloom
fabrics
and
handicrafts
.
(Bhattach~·ya)
After
Britain
joined
the EU
in
1973,
India's
trade
relationship
, ,
with
the
Community
grew
at a
steady
pace
and
during
the
course
of
the
1970s, 1980s
and
the
1990s the EU
became
India's
largest
trading
partner. The EU also became a
major
development
partner
o.f
India
in .social
and
economic sectors
and
India
too
began
to
receive large overseas
aid
from
the
EU.
The
end
of
the
Cold
war
*Pa
pe
r
pr
es
ent
ed
at
an
international conference o rg
anized
by the European
Stud
ies
Unit
of
the L
ondon
School
of
Economics a
nd
Political Science
on
30
Apr
il a
nd
1
Mny
2012 in
Lo
n
don
.
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