Abstract: This Special Focus aims at reflecting on the concepts of European technological sovereignty (ETS) and European strategic autonomy (ESA). Taking a legal perspective, it gathers the Insights of a group of scholars on highly debated issues such as the EU’s strategic autonomy, technical and digital sovereignty....
Abstract: Over the last decade, strategic autonomy has become a key tool for structuring the EU’s external action. This Insight examines the evolution of the concept in EU discourse and practice, explores its consequences on the emergence of the notion of "European sovereignty", and analyses how strategic autonomy is used to streamline both...
Abstract: This Insight focuses on the EU and Member States’ initiatives to reinforce Europe’s technological sovereignty (i.e. technological leadership and independence from others (especially China)) as far as semiconductors are concerned. It explores whether it is necessary to change the current allocation of powers...
Abstract: This Insight analyses whether and to what extent the legal implication of the EU operating as an autonomous legal order can contribute to also ensuring its strategic autonomy. The way the European Court of Justice has interpreted the autonomy principle and preserves the autonomy of the EU legal order enhances the strategic...
Abstract: The expression “European Technological Sovereignty” (ETS) has gained momentum in EU discourses. However, it is not defined in EU policy documents and legal acts. Although ETS is mainly connected with the functioning of the internal market, this idea is employed in an array of spheres where the EU enjoys different types of competences. This...
Abstract: National autonomy in the defence industry sector is often considered key by Member States to guarantee their national security interest. However, recent developments such as the Russian military aggression against Ukraine brought the need for further integration in this domain into the spotlight. The aim of this Insight is to...
Abstract: EU space policy is an important field in the pursuit of EU strategic autonomy, both as regards the need to protect EU space infrastructures (and industry) from external threats and as regards the need to strengthen EU capacity to act in the space domain for security and defence purposes. However, some complexities exist in the governance...
Abstract: The adoption of EU Regulation 2019/452 establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investment into the Union has been met with many reservations. While it appeared that it was becoming crucial for the EU to adopt a screening instrument in order to protect essential European interests, the mechanism that came into force in...
Abstract: The EU increasingly advocates a message of tech or digital sovereignty as its future, which appears to align closely with the concept of strategic autonomy. Arguably digital sovereignty has a highly differentiated understanding in the EU as opposed to the US or China. Increasingly, many suggest EU digital sovereignty in the era of the GDPR...
Abstract: Constructive abstention, provided for in art. 31(2) TEU, has been conceived of as an instrument applicable to CFSP acts. As art. 215 TFEU establishes an integrated regime in which CFSP decisions and TFEU regulations are interdependent on each other, the issue arises as to whether the scope of constructive abstention can be extended to...