ECIPE Webinar: EU Trade and Economic Interdependencies – Mapping the Road to “Strategic Autonomy”

The European Commission, along with some Member State governments, keeps pushing for EU Open Strategic Autonomy. Several EU laws have already been infused with the concept, resulting in EU policy interventions in production, trade, and investment. Policymakers aim to address several perceived risks, including concerns about value chain disruptions and the risk of economic coercion by third countries. New initiatives such as the “EU Economic Security Strategy” and the “Resilient EU 2023 approach to Open Strategic Autonomy”, suggest a continuing shift towards more defensive and inward-oriented economic policies.

The EU’s trade and investment profile demonstrates the mutually beneficial nature of EU trade and investment relationships. Except for a few niche areas like energy commodities and some raw materials, the EU does not have critical import dependencies. By contrast, Europe’s extensive integration into global value chains acts as a “safeguard” against coercion by non-EU governments that may compromise economic resilience and security. European businesses are intricately woven into global production and distribution networks. Data also shows that EU businesses and public sector institutions are benefitting much from access to advanced “non-EU” technologies.