Read more about the article Navigating European Naval Power: The Role of the European Patrol Corvette in EU Maritime Security
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Navigating European Naval Power: The Role of the European Patrol Corvette in EU Maritime Security

Amid rising geostrategic tensions, the maritime domain has emerged as a critical arena where Great Powers navigate their competing interests, emphasising the importance of a coordinated European naval defence policy. This article delves into the European Union’s (EU) dynamic approach to maritime security, beginning with an overview of the EU’s strategic goals for maritime defence and security. It also provides an overview of previous cooperation initiatives in the European naval defence sector, laying the groundwork for more recent advances, particularly the European Patrol Corvette (EPC) initiative. By providing a coordinated and flexible response to maritime threats, the EPC is anticipated to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and improve interoperability. The article’s conclusion offers an evaluation of the EPC’s implications for EU defence policy and its potential to transform Europe’s naval capabilities, granting the EU an opportunity to redefine its role in maritime security.

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21 November 2024
Read more about the article U.S. Integrated Deterrence and Europe’s Strategic Autonomy: Issues for Deterring Russia
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U.S. Integrated Deterrence and Europe’s Strategic Autonomy: Issues for Deterring Russia

The Ukraine war has had a myriad of geopolitics outputs in Europe, from grain commerce, energy supply, and to defence architecture of the continent. For the latter concept, it is well known that the United States plays a significant role in the deterrence equation through NATO (NATO, 2022). Nevertheless, the situation before Russian aggression is likely to change, and the burden of forward posture efforts from the different allies will be realigned.

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27 October 2023
Read more about the article Navigating the Complex Realities of Strategic Autonomy – And Where That Leaves European Defence
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Navigating the Complex Realities of Strategic Autonomy – And Where That Leaves European Defence

The term was first adopted in the European Commission’s Communication Towards a more competitive and efficient defence and security sector of 2013, whereby a ‘certain degree of strategic autonomy’ is necessary ‘to be a credible and reliable partner’ (European Commission, 2013, p. 3). The Communication posits that ‘Europe must be able to decide and to act without depending on the capabilities of third parties’ (European Commission, 2013, p. 3). Special notice is given to the security of supply, access to critical technologies and operational sovereignty (European Commission, 2013, p. 3).

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31 August 2023
Read more about the article Hyper-Connectivity as a Trigger for Strategic Autonomy in the European Union: Through a Transformative and Disruptive Technological Transition
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Hyper-Connectivity as a Trigger for Strategic Autonomy in the European Union: Through a Transformative and Disruptive Technological Transition

Over the past two decades, the European Union (EU) has intensely recalibrated its strategies to fulfil its mission of promoting peace and security and guaranteeing democracy, rule of law, freedoms, human rights, and equality to its citizens. Given the increase in non-conventional threats in the cyber, hybrid, and “cybrid” domains, the EU has started to strengthen its response to this changing security environment. In this context, technological change has become the main character in a society whose governments, economies, people, and armies are highly dependent on hyper-connectivity and impacted by it. The technological transition has transformed how enemies attack their counterparts, fostering digital rivalries and tighter industry competition. To this end, the Union has recently launched the EU’s Secure Connectivity Programme (2023-2027), which encloses the third EU constellation of strategic space infrastructures called IRIS2. The latter, inter alia, has been designed to foster strategic autonomy in the Union, thereby reducing foreign dependencies. It is fundamental for the Union to enhance its ability to respond and counter cyber challenges with a comprehensive and collaborative approach, as individual and protectionist actions from the Member States obstruct the achievement of a higher degree of strategic autonomy in the technological and defence arenas.

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16 December 2022
Read more about the article The European Union as a Strategic Autonomous and Defence Technological Actor: Between Promises and Reality.
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The European Union as a Strategic Autonomous and Defence Technological Actor: Between Promises and Reality.

The nexus between the concepts of European Strategic Autonomy (EU-SA) and the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) concerns the old willingness of the European Union (EU) to thrive as a global defence actor with autonomous decision-making and freedom of action. However, to do so, it is indispensable to achieve stronger technological sovereignty through balanced cooperation between Member States (MSs). The latter lack, inter alia, a common strategic culture, that is delaying the competitiveness and readiness of the European defence industry while leaving behind crucial investments in modern defence technologies. The EU finds itself in a reality where national interests prevail in a fragmented market with abundant duplicates of capabilities and collective budgetary deficiencies. For instance, this paper shall delve into the reasons why the EU is not yet a strategic autonomous and defence technological actor after actively working on this since 2013. This shall be done through an analysis of the two concepts – EU-SA and EDTIB – and an evaluation of the status quo. The final goal of this project is to prove that the prevalence of national interests over collective technological sovereignty is clogging the implementation of a tangible military-industrial base, without which the EU cannot become a strategic autonomous player in the defence industry.

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19 October 2022