New study by the EESC Employers Group

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 has made Europe one of the most important global trading powers and one of the most prosperous regions.

The COVID-19 pandemic followed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine have fundamentally altered the dynamics of openness and economic integration and foreshadowed a lengthy uphill struggle to preserve the EU's prosperity. These disruptive events have shown just how important it is that the EU become more resilient and able to safeguard its strategic interests effectively.

The EU is gearing up to respond to challenges that could signal a shift away from the multilateral, rules-based trading system that has been the hallmark of the era following the Second World War, and it cannot afford to be fuzzy on what strategic autonomy means.

The study carried out by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) delves into these complex issues, explores Europe's vulnerabilities and devises a number of recommendations on how to deliver strategic autonomy. The study was commissioned by the EESC at the request of the EESC Employers Group and was prepared by the CEPS.

Read the study here: https://europa.eu/!n98Tdd