Technological advancements, more efficient transportation, and the ongoing trends of globalisation mean that the world has never been as interconnected as it is now. The EU is no exception. This has prompted some nations to consider the pros and cons of such integration – and sparked a movement towards greater independence via strategic autonomy.
What is EU strategic autonomy?
European Union strategic autonomy (EU-SA) is the EU’s ability to act ‘without being dependent on other countries in strategically important policy areas.’1 It’s a topic that has come up quite a bit throughout Penta’s research in the EU, and connects to a range of areas – energy, agriculture, transportation, defence, values, and more. Here, we take a look at EU-SA and what it means for public-private collaboration in the EU.
| The whole objective and the whole policy towards phasing out our dependence on Russia does certainly remain…And already now, I mean, the decrease in our dependence on Russian gas has been spectacular…The other the other issue is the whole discussion of the supply value chains for the for the green technologies for the rare earth materials…New dependencies will have to be to be avoided.
– Officer, Commission, Southern Europe |
EU-SA has been a formalised priority of the EU for years. It’s gone through phases throughout the past decade, evolving from an original focus on security and defence, to an emphasis on the ‘hostile geopolitical environment’ brought on by Trump, Brexit, and China, and finally to a Covid-inspired focus on autonomous supply chains. Since 2021, the desire to achieve strategic autonomy has effectively been expanded to almost all EU policy areas. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 only heightened the necessity of EU-SA implementation.2
How can strategic autonomy be achieved in a supranational system where power is shared between EU institutions and Member States?
The unique arrangement of the EU has its pros and cons. On one hand, EU institutions have strong legislative capacity when it comes to the economy and the environment – two of the most important areas of strategic autonomy – and the EU budget can also be applied to EU-SA initiatives. On the other hand, the fact that Member States must balance their own national interests (e.g. competition and trade) with European interests can also hinder the pursuit of EU-SA. This is important to consider when taking into account the fact that Member State cooperation is essential when enacting EU policies.
What does this mean for the private sector acting in the EU?
Strategic autonomy doesn’t just apply to policy and legislation. When it comes to advocacy and collaboration between the public and private sectors, our research shows that awareness of EU-SA is influencing policymaker perceptions of European companies versus international companies.
| Everybody’s scared of the Chinese in the Netherlands…But if you look at the technologies, if you look at the amount of data that’s being collected on people, and the amount of [American] companies that are getting the personal information of every single person in the country, they’re both the same.
– Former Member of Parliament, Right, Netherlands |
| [A European company] is a little bit different. They are more European…it’s different from the [an American company]. So it’s seen in a different way. [A European company] is something which is historical here.
– Former Political Advisor, Member State Parliament, Southern European, Centre Left |
Policymakers are showing signs of disillusionment and hesitancy in working with non-European companies, particularly American companies. They want to maintain the ‘European values’ that are an important aspect of EU-SA and support companies they know will strengthen the European community from within.
How can international companies address this issue?
This is an especially important question to ask during an election year. The private sector – especially firms with an international presence – needs to contextualise their policymaker engagement within the local advocacy environment. This means not only having an understanding of the specific processes and quirks of the European Union and its institutions, but also being able to provide policymakers with localised information that is relevant to them.
A European-level lens is not enough; private stakeholders also need to understand the local context of their key Member States.
| What companies need to do is actually to send relevant data but more importantly, relevant data that targets specific regions. So in the parliament I don’t only need to know how many jobs you’ve employed across Europe, but also across my country…Because if you can’t deliver that to me, then I can’t showcase it for election. In an election year, everything becomes local.
– Head of Cabinet, Centre Left, Parliament, Eastern Europe |
| What I really appreciate when dealing with lobbyists and companies in general is when they can grasp the reality of the European Parliament, that sometimes [policies] go with a very fast pace.
– Policy Advisor, Centre Right, Parliament, Southern Europe |
Interested in reading more of our research? Check out our 2023 EU Insights Review, which examines the issues that policymakers deem to be top priorities for the EU.
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2022/733589/EPRS_BRI(2022)733589_EN.pdf
2. Ibid.
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