Even before the 25 March endorsement of the EU Strategic Compass, the question of securing strategic resources was foremost on the minds of policymakers and political leaders. The experience of the lack of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic had certainly raised questions about security of supply.
In particular, it was not too difficult to imagine a scenario where EU Member States would be denied access to strategic resources during a conflict or wartime. More than this, however, questions about the importance of strategic technologies and supply chains were becoming more pertinent in light of strategic competition. The experience of developing an adequate policy response to the challenge of 5G communications infrastructure, and in this regard the close relationship between private actors and rival states such a China, also heightened discussions in the EU about how best to ensure secure access to technologies and resources.
More broadly, the EU has over the past years dedicated its efforts to developing the Union’s digital and technological sovereignty. Underlying this drive is the idea that the EU should lower potentially harmful supply chains, while also investing in technological and scientific excellence within the Union. As the war on Ukraine has shown, certain supply dependencies can create political effects that lower the appetite and potential to respond to aggressive acts (e.g., energy sources and Russia).
Instituto da Defensa Nacional, 2022
Daniel Fiott 