Daniel Fiott

Journal Articles

  • Security of Supply and Interdependency: A New Approach to Strategic Autonomy and Indispensability

    Security of Supply and Interdependency: A New Approach to Strategic Autonomy and Indispensability

    This paper argues that Europe’s renewed focus on defence since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exposed and, in many cases, extended deep structural dependencies, particularly on the United States. It contends that traditional notions of strategic autonomy are no longer viable in an era defined by complex, globalised and commercially-driven supply chains. Instead, the paper… Read more

  • Malta’s European Defence Procurement: Neutrality, Participation and Adaptation

    Malta’s European Defence Procurement: Neutrality, Participation and Adaptation

    Malta’s engagement with EU security and defence is characterised by a delicate balancing act between neutrality and cooperation. Rooted in a constitutional commitment to non-alignment and neutrality, Maltese defence policy prioritises national sovereignty and regional security, while maintaining selective engagement with European partners. Within the EU, Malta occupies a peripheral yet symbolically relevant position. Its… Read more

  • From Inertia to Innovation? Five Years of the European Defence Fund, 2021-2025

    From Inertia to Innovation? Five Years of the European Defence Fund, 2021-2025

    On 15 April 2026, the European Commission released the results of the 2025 call under the European Defence Fund (EDF). Overall, in 2025, the Commission invested some €1.07 billion in 57 defence projects, which demonstrates the continued popularity and relevance of the EU-level funding tool. The Commission reports as part of its rollout of the 2025 EDF… Read more

  • The European Defence Union: An Article-by-Article Commentary

    The European Defence Union: An Article-by-Article Commentary

    The European Defence Union has been under construction for several years within a worrying security context. It depends fundamentally on EU law: i.e. both the rules laid down by the Member States in the Treaties and those adopted by the European institutions, as the European Union’s approach is no longer limited to the highly intergovernmental… Read more

  • Between the Berlaymont and the Glass Palace: The Relative Roles of the EU and NATO in European Defence

    Between the Berlaymont and the Glass Palace: The Relative Roles of the EU and NATO in European Defence

    Europe’s defence landscape is complex, and the relationship between the European Union and NATO is a prime example. Though only five kilometres apart in Brussels, the EU and NATO often appear worlds apart in practice. This new HCSS report by Davis Ellison and Daniel Fiott offers a clear-eyed assessment of this relationship and a roadmap for improvement.   Persistent political tensions, overlapping memberships,… Read more

  • What Role for European Economic and Military Enablement in Deterrence?

    What Role for European Economic and Military Enablement in Deterrence?

    Dans un environnement marqué par la superposition des crises, l’intensification des interdépendances et le retour assumé du rapport de force, les vulnérabilités des systèmes – énergétiques, informationnels, économiques, climatiques, logistiques – ne sont plus seulement des facteurs de fragilité : elles deviennent tout autant de leviers de conflictualité. Ce dossier propose d’interroger cette « guerre… Read more