EU risks losing ground in critical sectors without bold investments

In an opinion adopted at its April plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) sounds the alarm on the EU's strategic autonomy, urging the EU to invest heavily in critical sectors such as energy, space and defence, or risk falling behind global competitors like the US and China.

This call to action comes amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine. The EESC’s opinion is a response to a European Commission communication adopted in connection with the Granada summit, and aims to influence the preparations of the next European legislative mandate.

Alain Coheur, rapporteur of the opinion, emphasised that this trend not only threatens Europe’s independence and sovereignty, but also undermines its fundamental societal model. ‘In the face of international competition, the European Union has very little control over critical industrial sectors and has virtually no geostrategic leadership. We must react with a policy of massive investment,’ he said.

The EESC opinion outlines several key areas for investment.

• Strengthening Europe’s control over decarbonisation technologies to facilitate the energy transition and create job opportunities for European workers.
• Building digital independence by developing essential technologies and fostering growth in the digital sector.
• Addressing challenges in the space industry to ensure sustainability and sovereignty, including issues such as fragmentation, funding gaps and a limited internal market.
• Enhancing Europe’s defence capabilities to adapt to the new strategic environment, and offering continued military assistance to partners like Ukraine.

The EESC remains committed to addressing strategic autonomy, emphasising its significance in shaping Europe’s future. To further this goal, the upcoming May plenary sessions will feature three additional opinions and a plenary debate on the topic. Through these efforts, the EESC hopes to contribute to effective strategies that safeguard Europe’s autonomy and resilience in an ever-evolving global landscape.