The EU and South Asian countries are stepping up their engagement on trade, investment and economic cooperation. The EU also plays an important role as a development actor in the region, working to foster institution-building, democracy, good governance and human rights. However, the interaction remains mostly on the bilateral, rather than the regional, level. This is because despite efforts at change, South Asian countries have yet to put aside their political differences and embark on serious intra-regional cooperation which, in turn, makes it difficult for the EU to establish a regional strategy for South Asia. But what if the situation were different? What would an EU strategy for South Asia and a South Asian strategy for the EU look like?

This on-line Policy Dialogue will explore the state of play of EU–South Asia relations, and analyse the challenges and opportunities ahead.

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