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India-EU Cooperation in the SDG Era: Unlocking the Potential of a Development Partnership in Transition

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This study assesses the development partnership between India and the European Union (EU) and makes recommendations for the next steps to move it forward for the period 2020–30. Based on a detailed analysis of the “what” (areas of cooperation), “where” (geographic scope) and “how” (forms of engagement) of cooperation, the monograph aims to inform strategic choices on the future direction of the partnership. Prospects for a global development partnership between India and the EU often meet with scepticism given differences in their respective approaches to development cooperation (“Northern aid versus South-South cooperation”). However, this perspective is too limited to grasp the full potential of the India-EU development partnership that is increasingly covering a more comprehensive range of actors, policies and means of implementation. The comprehensive scope of this study shows the vast potential of the India–EU development partnership. However, cooperation depends on a realistic understanding of opportunities and limitations. As a coveted rising power, India’s capacity to enter and maintain a growing number of global development partnerships is limited. The India-EU development partnership must, therefore, demonstrate that it is not binding scarce capacity but adding new value. At the same time, a main theme emerging from this study is to not underestimate the potential of this partnership. India and the EU are too big to think small and have the combined political and economic weight to shift the Sustainable Development Goals decisively closer to their goalposts. Calibrating the right level of ambition for their development partnership, India and the EU can find more common ground, shedding limiting beliefs while keeping a pragmatic attitude that does not overstretch capabilities.
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... Initial support from the EU focused on "India's own efforts to improve the quality of life of the poorest and most disadvantaged member of society" (European Commission, 2006). Paulo (2019) found that the EU-India development partnership took the relations to the next level in terms of "broadening and deepening" them. As a result, the EU-India relations went through a substantial expansion beyond the realm of economic cooperation. ...
... The 2014-2020 MIP also supported the capacity building and cooperation of global public goods that was implemented with civil society organisations (CSOs) and local authorities. The EU capacity building programme supported local authorities in India for water, sanitation, and solid management to facilitate municipal services (Paulo, 2019). ...
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