The Euroclear Saga
The war triggered by Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only reshaped Europe’s security architecture; it has also exposed the strategic significance of financial infrastructures that had long operated in […]
Europe in the World
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.
Publications
External publications
Europe’s Supply Chain Security Dilemma
Beijing has become more explicit in weaponising trade dependencies through export controls, particularly in critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs). Europe now faces a structural dilemma: how to reduce […]
The Gulf Between Europe and Strategic Reality
Why does Europe have no impact on the war in the Gulf? Nor even on the diplomatic efforts to settle the war? Europeans could have mounted a collective operation to […]
Commentaries
Belgium’s EU Decision-Making Process: From Anticipation to Strategic Coordination
Belgium has long been recognised as a committed and experienced actor in European integration. Its federal structure, administrative expertise, and strong presence in Brussels have traditionally enabled the country to […]
No Monopoly Left: How Drone Warfare Escaped Its Architects
Something is becoming impossible to ignore: wherever you look today – the skies above eastern Ukraine, the Persian Gulf, the plains of Burkina Faso – drones are reshaping the logic […]
External publications
Outcome Pending Negotiations: The 2026 NPT Review Conference as a Narrative Battleground
The NPT Review Conference in May 2026 promises to be a battle between competing narratives about the evolution of the global nuclear order. This CSDS In-Depth Paper provides observers and […]