EU Trade Policy in a Geopolitical Age

Europe continues to face multiple crises which require the EU to develop new strategies and to rethink and adjust many of its policies. Amidst severe crises that hit the EU and its member states, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for European economies, Russia’s war on Ukraine unfolded massive economic, energy-related, and, above all, geopolitical externalities for Europe and the EU. After decades of growing and widened liberalisation, the EU is now in a situation in which it has to re-think its trade strategy and policy. Indeed, European Commission President von der Leyen announced a “geopolitical Commission,” and the Open Strategy Autonomy trade strategy wants to bring the EU into a position to effectively cope with geoeconomic and geopolitical challenges. This contribution takes stock of the EU’s trade policy in a geopolitical age and in how far the EU has managed to find adequate responses to the enormous economic and geopolitical challenges.