What ways and means for a real strategic autonomy of the EU in the economic field?

The EU has always strenuously promoted economic integration with the rest of the world. In a peaceful world governed by a rules-based system, this strategy made Europe not only one of the most important global trading powers but also one of the most prosperous regions. 

The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent Russian invasion of Ukraine have fundamentally altered the dynamics of openness and economic integration and foreshadowed a long-term uphill struggle to preserve the EU’s prosperity. These disruptive events have underscored the need for the EU to enhance its resilience and ability to safeguard its strategic interests effectively. 

As the EU is gearing up to respond to challenges that could signal a tectonic shift from the multilateral rules-based trading system that has been the hallmark of the post-World War II era, the EU can ill afford to be vague about what strategic autonomy means. 

The study carried out by Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) delves into these complexities, explores Europe's vulnerabilities and devises a number of recommendations on how to operationalise strategic autonomy.

The study was commissioned by the EESC on request of the EESC Employers' Group and was prepared by CEPS.