In a world that is largely driven by competition and rivalry (and partnership, yet) between great powers, understanding the Grand Strategy of each of these powers is crucial. So is developing a Grand Strategy for the EU itself. An EU that acts as one, as one pole of the multipolar world on a par with the other powers, is the only way to safeguard the way of life that the Member States of the EU have chosen, based on democracy, the free market, and equality.
Power cannot be divided: a global player must have political, economic, as well as military power. To that end, the Europe in the World Programme analyses the diplomacy and defence of the US, China, and Russia, and of the EU, NATO, and their members. We also focus on geoeconomics, researching Open Strategic Autonomy and the Global Gateway as key EU instruments, as well as the geoeconomic approaches of the other powers.
Defence policy is our third main axis of research, with a particular focus on European defence and its interaction with NATO, but also on nuclear deterrence and the deterrence of hybrid threats. Throughout all three research axis, we devote special attention to the role of Belgium, including notably the development of its own National Security Strategy and diplomatic and military capabilities.
External publications
This study looks at the European Commission’s proposal for a new GSP Regulation from human rights and sustainable development perspectives. It focuses on proposed changes to the conditionality provisions with […]
The Arctic region is undergoing dramatic changes with multiple implications for the region and well-beyond, with profound geo-economic and geopolitical consequences. These major developments and especially the gravity of climate […]
Commentaries
In Eastern Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for war. The European countries should strengthen their deterrence capacity and put an end to their dependence on Russian gas. *****
External publications
Egmont Institute and EPC Research Fellow Guillaume Van der Loo contributed to the first-ever EPC Outlook Paper. In this paper, EPC’s Europe in the World programme presents a comprehensive overview of […]
External publications
The Belgian position on nuclear policy questions is generally framed as a dual track approach combining credible deterrence with the pursuit of détente. This harks back to the Harmel report […]
External publications
One dimension of strategic autonomy has been firmly decided upon since the EU created its Common Security and Defence Policy in 1999: the projection of military force outside the borders […]