Joint Bodies and the Regularization of Strategic Interaction: A Comparison of the European Union's Strategic Partnerships with Japan and India

Abstract

In recent years, the European Union’s strategic partnerships have undergone a new wave of institutionalization. Relations with both India and Japan are a case in point: after a decade or more of under-institutionalized and situational interaction generally framed by political declarations, a more contractual model of bilateral relations has emerged and with it the proliferation of joint bodies. Such joint bodies and the overall regularization of bilateral contacts play an important but largely overlooked role in sustaining the strategic partnership. This article assesses the rationale and performance of joint institutional frameworks devised for the EU–Japan and EU–India strategic partnerships. Informed by an original conceptual approach, the article assesses the regularization and intensification of strategic interaction in these two partnerships.