52005IP0364

P6_TA(2005)0364

EU-India relations

European Parliament resolution on EU-India relations: A Strategic Partnership (2004/2169(INI))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the document by the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy entitled "A secure Europe in a better world. European security strategy" of 12 December 2003,

- having regard to the Commission Communication on "an EU-India Strategic Partnership" (COM(2004)0430) of 16 June 2004 and to India's reply to the communication in its strategy document of August 2004,

- having regard to its recommendation to the Council on EU-India relations of 28 October 2004 [1], and all its recent resolutions regarding India and its region,

- having regard to the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 11 October 2004 with regard to the Commission Communication,

- having regard to the Fifth EU-India Summit held in The Hague on 8 November 2004,

- having regard to the Sixth EU-India Summit held in New Delhi on 7 September 2005,

- having regard to the joint press release published by the EU and India on 8 November 2004 at the end of the above-mentioned Fifth Summit and the Joint Declaration on Cultural Relations of the same date and the manifest intention of the EU and India to draw up an EU-India plan of action for a strategic association and for a new Joint Political Declaration,

- having regard to the Action Plan for an EU-India Strategic Partnership and the new Joint Political Declaration adopted at the above-mentioned Sixth Summit,

- having regard to the seven meetings of the EU-India Round Table, established as a result of the Agenda drawn up in 2001 at the EU-India Summit in Lisbon, with the aim of bringing civil society in Europe and India closer and establishing a network of EU-India research centres,

- having regard to the above-mentioned Conclusions of the Council of 11 October 2004 with reference to the EU-India dialogue on human rights,

- having regard to the human rights awareness-raising activities and projects to promote good governance and local participation at town and village level in the decision-making process supported by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), and other related projects,

- having regard to the visit to New Delhi by the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the Countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in November 2004,

- having regard to the visit to India in January 2005 by the Commissioner responsible for trade, Peter Mandelson, and in particular to the conference in Kolkata at which he spoke on "The Global Economic Agenda: Europe and India's Challenge",

- having regard to the G-20 meeting organised by India in February 2005 and its participation as an observer at the last G-7 meeting,

- having regard to the Indo-US Parliamentary Forum held at the headquarters of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi in March 2005,

- having regard to the visit to the region by the US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, in March 2005 and to that of the Prime Minister of China, Wen Jiabao, to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India in April,

- having regard to the WTO Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health adopted on 14 November 2001,

- having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on Development and the Committee on International Trade (A6-0256/2005),

A. whereas the EU and India constitute the biggest democracies in the world, and their shared commitment to democracy, pluralism, the rule of law and multilateralism in international relations contributes to global peace and stability,

B. whereas India and the EU share a common vision in which trade, investment and free competition constitute key factors for economic development, and whereas both recognise that to promote such development, socio-economic cohesion, environmental protection and consumer rights should be ensured,

C. whereas the EU is the biggest trading partner and the biggest source of foreign direct investment in India,

D. whereas the Congress Party, which won the elections in May 2004, received its electoral support from the rural classes, which had considered themselves to be excluded from the benefits deriving from the technological explosion in India,

E. whereas there is enormous linguistic, social and religious diversity in India, a country of paradoxes with a population of 1069 billion people, an open society facing the challenge of freeing 370 million people from poverty, a world leader in the field of information technology but a country in which 550 million live off agriculture,

F. whereas 34,7 % of India's population are living below the poverty line, a quarter of these in urban areas; whereas, therefore, EU poverty eradication programmes in India must continue in order to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals,

G. whereas both the European Union and India are democratic and open societies,

H. whereas India has the second highest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia and whereas the European Union is home to several million people of that religion and culture,

I. whereas the EU and India have the potential to build a privileged relationship in international relations, but whereas there is in India a lack of awareness of the EU and its democratic system; highlighting the potential of India as a partner of the EU in helping to encourage new and young democracies,

J. whereas India and Pakistan have engaged in a continuous dialogue since the beginning of 2004 in order to put an end to some of the disputes facing them,

K. whereas, however, a new crisis may be brewing in Kashmir, and in the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana and the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh, as a result of the growing water shortages there, which could spark off a new and dangerous conflict,

L. whereas, in view of ever decreasing supplies, the global thirst for oil is a potential source of strategic and political tensions,

M. whereas 70 % of the energy consumed in India is imported,

N. whereas on 1 April 2005 the myriad of local taxes was replaced by a national value added tax, with which it is hoped to raise tens of millions of dollars each year; whereas most, although not all, Indian states have adopted this new law,

Domestic situation

1. Welcomes the democratisation process in India and India's commitment to democracy in an international context;

2. Declares its intention to contribute to a deepening of the relationship between the EU and India in keeping with the above-mentioned Commission Communication, the conclusions of the above-mentioned Fifth Summit and the above-mentioned European Parliament recommendation, as well as its continuing desire to develop and strengthen bilateral relations;

3. Welcomes the adoption, at the above-mentioned Sixth Summit, of a joint action plan to implement the EU-India strategic partnership, together with the joint political declaration, which takes relations between the EU and India to a new, higher and more intensive level, in particular as regards international peace and security, multilateralism, research, development, the environment, science, technology and human rights; welcomes in particular the creation of the high level trade group for trade and investment; considers that these agreements are a turning point in relations between the two economic powers and should be implemented with the active participation and engagement of India;

4. Stresses the remarkable cultural, political and, now, economic importance of India which, in the past, was only inadequately reflected in contractual relations between India and Europe;

5. Warmly welcomes the agreement on a strategic partnership between the EU and India, which confers on relations between the EU and India an importance equal to those with China, Russia, Japan, the USA and Canada;

6. Considers it important, in view of the clear desire on the part of non-European governments and public opinion to forge strategic alliances with India, for the Commission to make special efforts to raise the European Union's profile in India and to promote awareness of its institutions, principles, values and objectives;

7. Recognises that the desired mutual understanding between the EU and India will benefit from the strengthening of the privileged relations which some Member States maintain with certain regions of India for historical reasons, representing added value which favours proximity and genuine social, technical and economic cooperation;

8. Highlights the need to set up EU-India associations in order to promote the study, appreciation, diffusion and recovery of our shared linguistic, historical and cultural heritage;

9. Endorses all the objectives set out by the Commission in its Communication on an EU-India Strategic Partnership;

10. Considers, however, that the goals outlined in the ground-breaking strategic partnership, as presented by the Commission, must be properly funded with new resources in order to be able to fulfil our commitments and aspirations; asks that any additional resources needed to carry out the goals of the strategic partnership be not sourced from, but additional to, existing EU projects and programmes in India;

11. Appreciates and supports the fact that the strategic partnership places particular emphasis on political dialogue; stresses, however, that meeting the Millennium Development Goals and effectively combating poverty should be important elements of the EU-India Strategic Partnership;

12. Recognises that, in terms of human development indicators, India has made considerable progress over recent decades and has changed to some extent from being a beneficiary to a donor of development aid; voices its concern, however, at the persistently high number of Indians who still have to live in absolute poverty and are deprived of all rights;

13. Calls on the Commission and the Council to work together with the Indian Government, as a matter of urgency, to improve the situation of the underprivileged sections of the population, in particular women, children and disadvantaged groups of persons, e.g. Dalits and Adivasis and requests that any such future action contribute to bringing to an end discrimination based on sex or caste, wherever it takes place;

14. Welcomes the progress achieved at the above-mentioned Sixth Summit in the various areas covered by the joint Plan of Action and in particular the inclusion of India in the European nuclear fusion project International Experimental Fusion Reactor (ITER) and the progress achieved in the negotiations on India's participation in the framework agreement on the Galileo navigation system;

15. Notes that bilateral relations between India and China are expanding, culminating in the summit between the two nations held in New Delhi on 11 April 2005; welcomes the fact that, according to the joint communiqué from that summit, "the leaders of the two countries have agreed to establish between India and China a strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity"; welcomes the fact that a solution is apparently being found to the frontier question between India and China; notes that an agreement would contribute substantially to regional stability, enable both parties to spend less on defending their borders and limit the scope for the tension between the two great Asiatic powers being exploited by others;

16. Welcomes the fact that "cricket diplomacy" led to the holding of a summit in New Delhi between the Indian Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan on 17 April 2005; welcomes the fact that both parties are making progress in consolidating confidence-building measures, through gradual bilateral normalisation which could lead to a political settlement of the dispute in Kashmir; notes with satisfaction that the joint Commission on Trade has been revived and notes that the two countries have agreed to promote the project for building a gas pipeline from Iran to India, passing through Pakistani territory, which would undoubtedly create positive ties between the parties;

17. Recognises the legitimate aspirations of the USA to establish a strategic alliance with India, but also the need for a multipolar world, and is convinced of the significant advantages that European know-how and sensibility may offer India; recommends, to this end, that the EU should progress quickly with the consolidation of the strategic partnership between the EU and India; believes that new resources must be made available to fulfil the goals of that strategic partnership;

18. Considers that, while systematic and structured dialogue between the two parties on economic and trade matters is very important as part of the strategic partnership, the EU must pay special attention to increasing and enhancing cooperation in the political and strategic fields, given the established belief shared by the EU and India that the world can be made a safer place through international relations based on multilateralism and respect for international law and for the philosophy, charter and resolutions of the United Nations;

19. Urges the EU and India, in order to put into practice the multilateralism in international relations which they both advocate, to set up a mutual consultation mechanism that would operate in advance of international meetings or conferences, with the aim of proposing joint initiatives or adopting common responses to the problems raised on those occasions;

20. Considers that, given that large swathes of Indian public opinion and the business community see the EU not as an entity but rather as a 25-state conglomerate, the EU institutions should adopt a communications and visibility strategy that will help society and the authorities in India to gain a better understanding of the advances made towards union, including the progress of the common foreign and security policy which the entry into force of the new European constitution could entail;

21. Calls for the organisation of an annual Parliament Summit to run parallel or directly prior to the annual EU-India Summit, which currently takes place without the formal involvement of the European Parliament; considers that such a summit would be a way of developing links between Parliamentary bodies and of enhancing understanding of the points of view and democratic systems on both sides;

22. Welcomes the fact that the new government of Manmohan Singh has taken important and positive steps with regard to the necessary socio-economic reforms;

23. Welcomes the fact that democratic culture and development in India have attained very high standards, as shown by the proper functioning of coalition governments at federal and state level, and that this is enabling progress to be made towards reform in the economic and social fields which would not otherwise have been possible;

24. Considers nevertheless that, given the enormous complexity and diversity of India's social, economic and political fabric, this will not fully guarantee that the process will not experience difficulties and fluctuating fortunes;

25. Welcomes the release of 450 children between the ages of 6 and 14 who were working illegally in Mumbai under conditions of slavery, secured by the police in June 2005, and the arrest of the 42 unscrupulous businessmen who were exploiting them; nevertheless, expresses its alarm at the UNICEF reports according to which seventeen and a half million children (double that number according to some NGOs) are working in India, mostly in subhuman conditions; commends the new approach seemingly adopted by the Indian police and employment authorities of prosecuting exploiters and urges them to ensure that sufficient resources and continuing political will are available to make it possible to eliminate this shameful scourge on society;

Economic issues

26. Notes that the government is pushing for structural change in the economy and that it has made progress in the deregulation of several sectors (mobile telephony, insurance, energy, aviation, etc.); welcomes the fact that the new government's first budget provides for structural improvements, tariff reductions and a lifting of restrictions on foreign ownership, and that it is moving forward with the privatisation of state enterprises;

27. Given that India and the EU share the view that trade, investment and free competition are key factors in economic development, but also that, if such development is to be harmonious and equitable, account must be taken of fundamental social needs which strengthen economic and social cohesion, the environment and consumer rights, urges the Indian Government to pay heed to these matters as it embarks on the vast task of development;

28. With this in view, and given this shared vision, urges the EU and India to jointly tackle aspects of industrial, environmental and development cooperation, trade, investment and good governance policy which are of common interest to both parties,

29. Urges the Indian private sector, which has benefited from the full confidence of the government and is playing a key role in the economic measures and plans drawn up by the government essential to the sustainable development of the country, to display the utmost social sensitivity when participating in these plans;

30. Takes note of the measures announced by the Indian Ministry for Trade and Industry to facilitate exports, including the introduction of a single uniform application form, which could considerably reduce the excessive amount of red tape existing at present;

31. Welcomes also the decision to cut waiting times at the country's congested ports which, together with the financial measures for ports and other major infrastructure works contained in the national budget approved in February 2005 on the initiative of the Minister for Finance, could bring about major advantages for imports and exports;

32. Welcomes the fact that both the EU and India have decided to coordinate their actions on geographical indications (GI) and have agreed to hold seminars to map out a strategy in this area;

33. Takes a positive view of the agreement reached at the above-mentioned Fifth Summit to facilitate and develop further bilateral trade and investment, given that the volume of bilateral trade relations clearly falls short of its potential; points out, however, that investment, in particular, needs to be increased and that it is essential for India to open up its market more and carry out economic reforms aimed at further dismantling of tariffs, tackling non-tariff restrictions and effectively protecting intellectual property rights;

34. Believes that it is in the interests of the EU and India to work together towards a successful outcome of negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), and that to this end both parties must seek as close a convergence of views as possible on key DDA issues; considers that greater contact between Members of the European and Indian Parliaments would be particularly useful;

35. Hopes that India will assume its key role in the current World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and will actively contribute towards resolving the problems involved, particularly in the area of market access for non-agricultural goods; in this context, calls on the EU and India to use the next three months before the WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong to reflect and act decisively and make the case for greater openness towards the other members of the WTO;

36. Recognises the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation, focusing on technical obstacles to trade and sanitary issues, engaging in dialogue over the instruments of trade defence and, more generally, compliance with WTO rules;

37. Calls for talks between the EU and India concerning investment to take account of the socio-political responsibility of foreign investors in the host country; also stresses that the rights to be granted to firms should go hand in hand with obligations and that investors in the host country should at least apply the International Labour Organization's (ILO) core labour standards;

38. Welcomes the decision of the government in New Delhi to create special economic zones with the aim of attracting foreign investment and urges India to review and update its legislation in this area and take steps to prevent the exploitation of workers, safeguarding the rights and obligations of both employers and workers;

39. Considers that the allocation of mobile communications frequencies is of crucial importance to the EU since it has serious consequences for mobile telephony (GSM); calls on India to give due attention to bringing mobile communications frequencies into line with the International Telecommunications Union standards;

40. Calls on India to make a positive response to proposals such as that made by Malaysia, India's main trading partner in ASEAN, to establish a free trade area, since proposals of this kind can contribute to the stability, development and prosperity of the various peoples and states of the region;

41. Notes that in India a substantial and growing middle class is emerging, a group which not only could be seen as a positive target for certain trade products, but also and above all is receptive to European culture;

42. Urges the EU and India to give firm encouragement to the consolidation and continual updating of a specific cultural cooperation programme as part of the planned strategic partnership; believes that this is important, given the rich cultural diversity on both sides, and believes that awareness and dissemination of the two cultures among Indian and European citizens will help to provide a more solid foundation for this partnership;

43. Welcomes the recent signing by the Commission and the Indian Government of an agreement under which the former is offering one thousand bursaries (worth 33 million Euro) to enable Indian students to attend European universities under the Erasmus Mundus programme, which will undoubtedly contribute to the objectives set out in the previous paragraph; notes that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations is offering opportunities for European students to attend universities in India, but calls for greater interest to be shown in this so as to make a more active contribution to consolidating the foundations of the strategic partnership;

44. Hopes that India, together with other beneficiary countries, will also answer the call by other developing countries to find solutions to the problems which will undoubtedly arise from the abolition of quantitative restrictions on textile and clothing imports, bearing in mind that India is expected to benefit particularly from this measure; equally hopes that India will abstain from any unfair trade practices towards the EU industry, so that the EU in turn will not be forced to have recourse to the appropriate trade defence instruments consistent with WTO rules;

45. Notes that India already possesses immense geopolitical strength, which is based on economic strength, particularly in the new technologies sector, and stresses that India should therefore be regarded as an internationally recognised global player and that such status entails additional social responsibility for India;

46. Stresses the need also for the EU to assist India in combating poverty and in attaining its development targets generally; also emphasises the need for the EU to cooperate with India over a wide range of issues including development policy, governance, environmental sustainability and social and economic cohesion;

47. Stresses, moreover, that the EU should consider it important to encourage and support India in regard to the implementation or continuing adoption of international labour standards, in particular through the comprehensive ratification and practical application of the ILO Conventions and, in particular, given the need to combat child labour, which continues to be a major problem in India today, the Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (Minimum Age Convention (C138));

48. Welcomes the 1800 million Euro Airbus deal, concluded during the EU-India Business Summit of 7 September 2005, which is a sign of developing bilateral relations and confirmed the success of the European consortium;

Development

49. Is seriously concerned at the spread of AIDS in the country, which could become an epidemic in the region unless it is firmly tackled, and calls on the Indian Government to declare a firm commitment to tackling this problem as a priority, exchanging information and seeking to develop common strategies with other countries affected;

50. Understands that the laws on intellectual property rights recently adopted by the Indian Parliament may have adverse effects on the production capacity of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, which has been a source of reliable and affordable medicines, particularly for AIDS, for many patients world-wide; therefore strongly believes that the law should allow derogations for medicines which are of public interest, such as those used to combat, inter alia, AIDS, cancer, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis; believes that access to reliable and affordable medicines, in particular for AIDS, is critical; calls upon the Indian authorities to ensure that international standards of animal welfare are applied in the use of live animals in scientific experiments and that such experiments are minimised and alternatives found;

51. Points out that half of the patients who take antiviral medicines in poor countries are using medication produced in India; calls on the EU to support India in further implementing its intellectual property laws in a manner that will avoid barriers to the production, marketing and export of essential medicines and, in so doing, create an environment that will continue to encourage and facilitate investment by the Indian generic manufacturing industry in providing affordable essential medicines for developing countries;

52. Recalls that the WTO allows such derogations and that the Doha Declaration on TRIPS still applies, which states that "the Agreement can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive of WTO members' right to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all";

53. Encourages the Commission and India to work together, on the basis of permanent and continuous contacts, to push the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) forward to a final and successful conclusion benefiting all parties concerned;

54. With this in view, believes that it should be possible for Indian and European negotiators to establish direct and permanent links for addressing bilateral and multilateral topics; this will help to secure balanced and mutually beneficial progress on the main points of the Doha Development Agenda;

55. Calls on the EU and India to study as soon as possible the possibilities for joint action in cooperative development projects in third countries and to take the necessary steps to push these forward once their feasibility has been confirmed;

56. Welcomes the fact that both parties have agreed to hold the first meeting of the EU-India Environmental Forum in October/November 2005 and calls on the Commission to devote special attention to those areas which are priorities for India, such as renewable energies, clean technologies and the treatment of waste, and to provide all possible assistance;

57. Calls on the Indian Government to take firm and effective measures to prevent the occurrence of the phenomenon of dumping in its trade with the EU;

Environment and agriculture

58. Stresses that the increasing environmental destruction in India is a constantly growing problem, particularly for the poor population, in terms of water pollution, land degradation, air pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity, and stresses the particular urgency of pressing ahead with EU cooperation with India in this field;

59. Urges India, which has signed the Kyoto Protocol but which enjoys a temporary derogation from certain commitments, to show greater sensitivity to the question of global warming, while pursuing its development needs and objectives in a reasonable manner compatible with sustainable development;

60. Is concerned at the alarming drop in the number of tigers to be found in the country's major nature reserves and calls on the Indian authorities to step up their efforts to combat the corruption and incompetence responsible for this decline;

61. Considers that the supervisory and control measures designed to protect this animal should be stepped up, particularly in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar; with this in view, urges that the recently established National Wildlife Crime Prevention Bureau be given the necessary resources to enable it to operate effectively;

62. Calls on the Commission to concern itself with this matter and ensure the appropriate cooperation, since tigers are not only significant for India's ecosystem and important for the country's tourist sector, but can also be seen as part of mankind's heritage;

63. Calls on the Member States potentially able to cooperate in the field of civilian-use nuclear energy to give due consideration to India's enormous and growing energy requirements and to take a decision on the possibility of increasing cooperation with India in this area; also urges the Commission, the Member States and India to increase cooperation in the field of renewable energies;

64. Is concerned at the serious farming crisis which, according to various experts, could within a few years have very serious consequences because of the dearth of water in various parts of the country, and calls on the Council and the Commission to pay close attention to this question;

65. Notes that, twenty years after the Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, leaked toxic gases, killing more than 22000 people and leaving tens of thousands more with chronic and debilitating illnesses, the site has still not been cleaned up and toxic waste continues to pollute the environment and groundwater; calls on the Indian authorities and Dow Chemicals to immediately clean up the site and affected surroundings, provide a full remedy for the victims, and bring those responsible to justice;

66. Calls on the EU to apply the strategic partnership in such a way as to make a tangible difference on the ground and to encourage people to engage in partnership across the globe so as to improve their working customs and quality of life and to exchange ideas and best practice in all sectors, especially in industry and agriculture;

67. Considers that more support should be given to cooperation in science and technology, one of the principal objectives being to promote dialogue — at all levels — focusing on subjects of common interest such as information technologies, space technology, biotechnology, electronic commerce and textiles; points to the importance of expanding facilities for university contacts and exchanges;

Human rights

68. Believes that the distinguishing feature of a true partnership is an open and honest dialogue on all matters of mutual interest and, therefore, welcomes the fact that the strategic partnership provides for the extension and institutionalisation of the human rights dialogue;

69. Welcomes the decision of the Indian Supreme Court to order the review of over two thousand complaints closed by the police and approximately two hundred cases, which had ended in acquittals, arising from the 2002 mass killing of two thousand Muslims in the State of Gujarat; congratulates the Indian National Human Rights Commission on its independent and rigorous work regarding this and other issues, such as discrimination based on castes and that suffered, inter alia, by Dalits and Adivasis, and believes that the judicial and political authorities must be given sufficient time to conclude their work without outside interference, which may prove counter-productive in the end; calls for cooperation with human rights organisations in this process;

70. Welcomes the Nanavati Commission report and the Government's Action Taken Report on the violence against Sikhs in 1984, and calls on the Government of India to fulfil its promises to hold the perpetrators to account promptly and with earnest commitment;

71. With regard to discrimination and violence against women, urges the government to continue its specific measures to effectively eliminate domestic violence and provide assistance for victims; calls also for continuing efforts to be undertaken to promote the education of girls, thereby complying with Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3;

72. Recognises that for centuries India has preserved a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural and linguistically diverse society within its territory, offering an example to the West and to Europe, and calls on the Indian Government to guard particularly against the emergence of inter-ethnic, inter-religious and inter-cultural tensions among communities, which would jeopardise the country's secular heritage of tolerance and coexistence;

73. Aware of the new Government's proven will to modernise, urges it to press on resolutely with the reform of the exceedingly slow and antiquated judicial system; points out that, on occasion, the slow operation of the justice system or particular instances of malpractice or failure to act on the part of the police, particularly as regards certain rape cases, lead to frustration among the population, prompting it to take justice into its own hands; welcomes, nevertheless, the fact that this has generated a public debate on these issues in particular and on the situation as regards the justice system in general;

74. Calls on the New Delhi government to abolish the use of the death penalty in its judicial system;

75. Draws attention to the fact that India is one of the few democratic countries not to have ratified the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which entered into force in 1987, and notes that said ratification is a vital pre-requisite for the strengthening of relations between the EU and India; calls on it also to ratify the conventions on the abolition of child labour and on the promotion of collective bargaining;

76. Stresses that the EU must urge India to comply fully with the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;

77. Urges India to sign up to the International Criminal Court;

78. Calls on the Council and the Commission to enter into a dialogue with India on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the abolition of the death penalty, the ratification in particular of the conventions against torture and child labour together with the additional protocols to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women;

International situation

79. Notes that the planned strategic association between Washington and New Delhi provides for the sale of US aircraft and the sharing of space and civilian-use nuclear technology;

80. Recognises that India has played a major role in conflict prevention and peacekeeping, for example in Afghanistan; takes notes of its reaction to the recent royal coup in Nepal and its aftermath; calls upon India, as the largest member of the SAARC, to take a lead in developing SAARC regional cooperation further;

81. Notes that the EU must encourage regional cooperation in southern Asia and also undertake a strategic rapprochement with a view to upgrading relations between the EU and the SAARC;

82. Takes note of the rapprochement between Iran, Pakistan and India, as a result of which consideration is being given to the building of a gas pipeline from Iran to India passing through Pakistani territory; considers that support should be given to projects of this kind, which are essentially peaceful in nature, benefit the peoples of the region and create a network of mutual interests deterring the prospect of conflict between them, and encourage regional stability;

83. Welcomes the signs of progress in Indo-Pakistani bilateral talks on Kashmir and other mutual displays of flexibility, such as the recently launched bus service between the two, Indian and Pakistani, parts of the territory, and the visits by the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs to Pakistan and the President of Pakistan to India;

84. Condemns the terrorist attacks perpetrated against the abovementioned bus service on the day of its inauguration, 7 April 2005;

85. Welcomes the Indian Prime Minister's declaration, supported by the Pakistani President Musharraf, that the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir should be regarded as a "Mountain of Peace" and as a new symbol on the path to full reconciliation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, and calls on the EU to support this positive move in order to achieve, as soon as possible, a definitive agreement between the parties, including on redeployment and withdrawal of military forces in the area;

86. Calls upon the Council and the Commission to support India and its competent security services and law enforcement authorities in their application to enjoy privileged partner status with Europol in order to combat international terrorism and organised crime more effectively;

87. Urges India, together with Pakistan and Israel, to become parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which is an irreplaceable multilateral instrument for maintaining and consolidating international peace, security and stability and establishes a legal framework to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons;

88. Urges the Government of India to accede to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention);

89. Expresses its profound sadness at the loss of life and property caused by the tsunami in December 2004 and congratulates the Indian Government for displaying such solidarity with its rapid response to the disaster and, in particular, the Indian Navy which dispatched several units to the affected regions the very next day; calls upon the Commission to ensure that India is included in its programme of post-tsunami reconstruction;

90. Calls upon its Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament to consider, for the second half of the parliamentary term, creating a specific European Parliament-India Inter-parliamentary delegation in order to establish deeper links between the Parliaments of the two largest democracies in the world;

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91. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States of the European Union, the Government and Parliament of India and the governments and parliaments of the SAARC Member States.

[1] OJ C 174 E, 14.7.2005, p. 179.

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