It is near consensual among Europeans that they need to strengthen the ‘European pillar in NATO’. This study traces the evolution of the concept of the European pillar, delineates potential meaning, and spells out what it would take to operationalize it.
At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, allies pledged to spend 5% of GDP on defence by 2035 – including 1.5% for resilience and security-related investment. Yet what counts towards this 1.5% remains unclear. As European governments face mounting fiscal pressure, funds must be spent wisely. Strategic investment in infrastructure, rail, clean energy, resilient supply chains and nature restoration could reinforce deterrence, strengthen economic competitiveness and address climate and biodiversity risks in tandem.
As the relationship with the U.S. government is fundamentally shifting, Germany faces a critical choice between deepening transatlantic defense procurement or seizing the moment to build out Europe's defense-tech ecosystem.
This policy brief explores the long-standing divergences in Europe and India’s approach to multilateral governance—rooted in historical experience and interest-based considerations—to better understand the current moment and identify arenas of promise
This policy brief explores how a focused agenda on clean mobility, renewable energy, circular economy, digital infrastructure, and climate adaptation could move the relationship beyond ambition to real-world action.
Europe’s defence map is being redrawn. Our new Böll EU Brief tracks over 160 defence partnerships signed since 2014 among EU countries, the UK and Ukraine – most of them after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Bilateralism boosts trust, interoperability and procurement speed, but also risks duplication and fragmentation. To turn this patchwork into strategy, the EU and NATO should map and integrate these deals into joint planning, strengthen the European Defence Agency’s role, and use bilaterals to offset declining US support.
With geopolitical multipolarity reshaping space, this brief calls for a structured India–EU Space Agenda that couples market incentives with diplomatic alignment.
This policy brief explores how the Global Gateway can be effectively leveraged to foster strategic synergy between the EU and Indo-Pacific partners, with a focus on India’s regional connectivity priorities.
The ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 proposal has limited fiscal impact and is unable to address the persistent lack of coordination among Member States, as it does not adequately incentivise joint procurement. Instead, the authors suggest to future-proof the EU's fiscal rules and develop an EU grants-mechanism tied to strategic cooperation, greater parliamentary oversight, and a broader concept of security that includes climate and democratic resilience.
Subsea data cables are the digital lifelines of our modern world. Yet, external factors frequently expose vulnerabilities in the network and its supporting infrastructure. While around 150 cable faults occur globally each year, states suspect a growing number of cable faults to be linked to hybrid or malicious activity. Recognising that many states around the world face similar risks, the EU Action Plan on Cable Security proposes to establish “an advanced cable diplomacy”. But cable diplomacy is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Technological sensitivities, dual-use aspects and geopolitical considerations demand a tailored approach. Where and how should the EU build effective cable diplomacy partnerships?
The 2024 re-election of Donald Trump as US president, and the realignment of US security strategy that is expected to follow fundamentally changes Europe’s security outlook. The EU cannot become Europe’s security provider, but it can, through its defence industrial policy, support the funding and organization of the rearmament effort.
The majority of EU Member States do not have any formal China strategy papers. Some EU Member States and specific government ministries have adopted internal China strategies and guidelines that have not been officially released to the public. Commonly referred to as ‘China strategies’, these documents outline national positions on China, rather than concrete strategies for managing bilateral relations. Jacob Mardell mapped out the state of play of these strategies in EU27, UK and Switzerland.
Will the EU-US Trade and Technology Council shape a resilient future or succumb to geopolitical rifts? This in-depth exploration of scenarios, challenges, and opportunities for transatlantic collaboration on trade, tech, and climate action outlines possible futures.
This e-paper is an updated version of the publication “US elections and European cohe-sion” from October 2024 that contained scenarios for both a Harris and a Trump 2.0 administration. The initial scenarios were refined, tested and reviewed.
As the EU enters a new five-year cycle, its ambitious Green Deal targets and European Climate Law face growing uncertainty due to concerns over industrial competitiveness and economic growth. Additionally, backlash against the EU’s climate policies, fuelled by farmers’ protests, could hinder the promise of a just green transition. Yet, as the planet warms rapidly, climate change will continue to affect EU economic sectors, including agriculture and food. Greater climate variability and extremes will impact global food systems, posing supply chain challenges and heightening food insecurity. These trends highlight the need to invest in sustainable agri-food systems as part of climate mitigation and adaptation.
The EU's reactions to the current challenges in the areas of security and trade policy highlight that a resolute and coherent common European foreign policy depends on the political will of Member States and their willingness to overcome their differences. The aim must be for Europeans to jointly consider their international commitment across different policy areas and act accordingly in a strategic manner. But the institutional reforms of the past have not provided the necessary push forward. In this sense, the recommendations for action in this paper are to be understood primarily as a call to Member States to make better use of the existing scope for action within the EU treaties.
The choice at the US ballot box will be a stark one for climate policies. This paper explores how the EU and its member states could adjust their climate policies, depending on the outcome of the US election.
The fate of Ukraine’s battlefield will be decided at the US ballot box. This paper explores how the European Union and its Member States could adjust their Ukraine and NATO policies, depending on the outcome of the US election.
War in Europe, the worsening climate crisis, Europe's position in the global power structure: the EU is facing historic challenges. The European elections in June 2024 will decide what happens next. Current surveys see right-wing populist parties on the rise. They stir up fears about the future and stir up sentiment against Brussels without themselves having answers to the problems of our time. But we need positive and courageous ideas for Europe.
Jacob Mardell compares the US and EU strategies to ensure access to raw materials necessary for the green transition in the face of global competition and shows how these should be based on genuine and inclusive partnerships rather than just economic interests.
