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The Opportunities and Vulnerabilities of Partnership: The Effects of the 2026 EU-India Free Trade Agreement on the European Union’s Trade and Economic Security

Falk, Louise LU (2026) SIMZ11 20261
Master of Science in Global Studies
Abstract
This thesis examines how India’s rise as a major economic actor shapes EU-India trade relations and the EU’s economic security in strategic sectors, technology and energy. The thesis asks how developments of increasing global trade fragmentation and geopolitical competition shape the EU's economic security and how the EU responds to this through trade policy, regulatory instruments, and the 2026 EU-India Free Trade Agreement. The thesis employs qualitative document analysis and six semi-structured expert interviews. The data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key themes across policy documents and interview material. The analysis reveals that EU-India trade relations both enhance and constrain EU economic security... (More)
This thesis examines how India’s rise as a major economic actor shapes EU-India trade relations and the EU’s economic security in strategic sectors, technology and energy. The thesis asks how developments of increasing global trade fragmentation and geopolitical competition shape the EU's economic security and how the EU responds to this through trade policy, regulatory instruments, and the 2026 EU-India Free Trade Agreement. The thesis employs qualitative document analysis and six semi-structured expert interviews. The data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key themes across policy documents and interview material. The analysis reveals that EU-India trade relations both enhance and constrain EU economic security by expanding market access and regulatory influence while simultaneously creating new dependencies in strategic sectors. Economic security is operationalized through the interaction of the three dimensions of the EU’s Economic Security Framework, Promote, Protect, and Partner, particularly via supply chain diversification, resilience strategies, and regulatory frameworks that extend the EU standards abroad. The findings show that the EU’s economic security is a dynamic process of strategic interdependence shaped by opportunity and vulnerability. This reflects the broader shift towards strategic interdependence, where openness is maintained but increasingly conditioned by resilience, control, and geopolitical considerations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Falk, Louise LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMZ11 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
EU-India Free Trade Agreement, Economic Security, Strategic Interdependence, Trade Diversification, EU Trade Policy
language
English
id
9232047
date added to LUP
2026-06-25 09:34:27
date last changed
2026-06-25 09:34:27
@misc{9232047,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines how India’s rise as a major economic actor shapes EU-India trade relations and the EU’s economic security in strategic sectors, technology and energy. The thesis asks how developments of increasing global trade fragmentation and geopolitical competition shape the EU's economic security and how the EU responds to this through trade policy, regulatory instruments, and the 2026 EU-India Free Trade Agreement. The thesis employs qualitative document analysis and six semi-structured expert interviews. The data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key themes across policy documents and interview material. The analysis reveals that EU-India trade relations both enhance and constrain EU economic security by expanding market access and regulatory influence while simultaneously creating new dependencies in strategic sectors. Economic security is operationalized through the interaction of the three dimensions of the EU’s Economic Security Framework, Promote, Protect, and Partner, particularly via supply chain diversification, resilience strategies, and regulatory frameworks that extend the EU standards abroad. The findings show that the EU’s economic security is a dynamic process of strategic interdependence shaped by opportunity and vulnerability. This reflects the broader shift towards strategic interdependence, where openness is maintained but increasingly conditioned by resilience, control, and geopolitical considerations.}},
  author       = {{Falk, Louise}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Opportunities and Vulnerabilities of Partnership: The Effects of the 2026 EU-India Free Trade Agreement on the European Union’s Trade and Economic Security}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}