Erwoan Lannon

The European Union and the Indian Ocean Islands: identifying opportunities for developing a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to analyze, from a geostrategic, geo-economical and cooperation perspective, the relationships established by the European Union with the Indian Ocean Islands: Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka. The analysis also takes into consideration the cases of Mayotte, La Réunion, the Scattered Islands and the Chagos Archipelago. At strategic level, the EU has developed its actions in the Indian Ocean since the launching of the naval operation EU NAVFOR-ATALANTA in 2008, in response to the rising levels of piracy in the region. At geo-economic level, the implementation of the interim Economic Partnership Agreement with Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Zimbabwe is a major step, but other (potential) trade agreements, notably with Indonesia and India, have to be taken into consideration. At cooperation level, different EU’s (sub-)regional and bilateral actions are analyzed, including new specific programs and projects combining external and internal financial instruments in the region. The analysis of this complex network of relationships is the basis for identifying opportunities for developing a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy of the European Union vis-à-vis the Indian Ocean islands.