Publications

EU Civil-Defence Synergies: Understanding the Challenges and Drivers of Change

This paper looks at the European Union’s approach to promoting civil and defence synergies. More specifically, it focuses on the strategies and policies developed by the European Commission to help stimulate the cross-fertilisation of civil and defence research. A core part of the analysis is to show the evolution of the EU approach to such… Read more

27th Mar 2022
The Day After: the EU’s Strategic Compass and the Protection of Europe

The EU has spent the best part of 20 months working on its ‘Strategic Compass’ for security and defence, yet the war in Ukraine and the threat environment around Europe pose serious questions. If the Compass is to move from just another EU document to credible action, EU member states need to step up their… Read more

1st Mar 2022
A Clash of Concepts?Making Sense of ‘European Sovereignty’ and ‘Strategic Autonomy’

Strategic autonomy has become the buzzword of the European policy scene in recent years, with a slew of reports and policy proposals dedicated to the subject, and high-level support among European leaders. But big questions remain about what the concept actually means and what its implications are for Europe and the EU. Drawing on contributions… Read more

7th Feb 2022
The Failure of the EU’s Mediterranean Policies

Abstract ‘Thank you. This is Miranda Marluppi from Euro Diretta. At the start of the decade the Commission used its “EU Beach Clean-Up” initiative to sell us idyllic pictures of the Med- iterranean Sea, but today — in 2027 — the “Med is Dead”. What is the EU doing to save the Mediterranean Sea?’. There was… Read more

21st Jan 2022
Der Weg zu einem souveränen Europa

Vor mehr als vier Jahren hielt der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron an der Pariser Sorbonne eine Rede mit dem Titel „Initiative für Europa“. Sie führte das Konzept der europäischen Souveränität ein – damals noch ein kühner Vorschlag, heute eine weit verbreitete Vorstellung. 2020 nannte EU-Ratspräsident Charles Michel das Erreichen echter europäischer Souveränität „die Aufgabe unserer… Read more

3rd Jan 2022
Strategic Compass: New Bearings for EU Security and Defence?

Abstract Over the past twenty years the European Union has enhanced its role as a security and defence actor. However, in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment, the Union faces new threats and security challenges and this calls for a unified, robust and far-reaching approach from the bloc and its Member States. The Strategic Compass, to… Read more

15th Dec 2021