Raising awareness of both existing and emerging foreign and security policy challenges facing the European Union, EUISS Briefs provide key information in a concise, focused format.
Europe has strengthened its resilience and preparedness, but efforts remain fragmented. An EU resilience planning capability would improve coordination, strengthen civilian-military cooperation and help make resilience a core pillar of European deterrence and defence.
As Russia tightens its grip on Belarus, the country is becoming a growing source of military pressure and intimidation against Europe. The EU must respond with a balanced strategy of pressure, conditional incentives and support for democratic forces.
The EU and its enlargement partners face shared cyber threats but have yet to develop the operational cooperation needed to address them effectively. Deeper pre-accession coordination is needed to strengthen political, societal and industrial resilience across Europe.
The Caribbean is facing major geopolitical upheaval as the US increases pressure on Venezuela and Cuba. Regional actors are recalibrating their strategies in response. The EU should not ignore this region given its relevance to Europe’s own security.
At a time of intensifying global competition, Africa's energy transition is central to its development ambitions. A stronger Africa-EU partnership on renewables, grids and supply chains could deliver mutual gains, but weak infrastructure, financing gaps and fossil fuel dependence...
EU–NATO cooperation has intensified amid growing security threats, but structural constraints and renewed transatlantic tensions under Trump 2.0 complicate the partnership. The EU should strengthen coordination with NATO while preparing for greater transatlantic uncertainty.
Africa's demographic dynamism, growth and strategic resources make it central to Europe's economic resilience, security and autonomy amid intensifying global competition. Maintaining the AU–EU partnership as a strategic priority requires sustained engagement, deeper people-to...
Defence clusters – small groups of aligned states – provide the most viable route to strengthen European military capabilities, allowing for greater industrial and operational cooperation. The EU should support and connect clusters into a more coherent European defence ecosystem.
The EU and India are drawing closer in response to shared pressures, but divergent threat perceptions set clear limits. Cooperation works best through a modular approach, shifting beyond trade towards practical collaboration in defence, technology and economic security amidst a...
China is deeply embedded in Europe’s energy system, creating strategic and cybersecurity risks. The EU must de-risk its energy transition by tightening procurement, trade and cybersecurity rules, and prioritising European control over critical energy infrastructure.
