Dear Readers,
These are decisive weeks for Europe. The chaotic discussions on the so-called peace plan for Ukraine underscore once again: Europe needs to increase its capacity to act. And it needs to bolster its sovereignty in core areas. In this spirit, last week’s European Digital Sovereignty Summit here in Berlin explored how Europe can strengthen its technological and digital sovereignty.
We at Bertelsmann Stiftung contributed on many fronts: Our Executive Board member Daniela Schwarzer hosted a working session with President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen. To bring France and Germany closer together on this topic, we hosted a high-level dialogue on technological resilience and sovereignty in the run-up to the summit.
Also last week, my colleague Martin Hullin announced the European Network for Technological Resilience and Sovereignty (ETRS). Together with 17 think tanks and partner organisations from across Europe, the network aims to be a platform for discussions about the future of Europe’s digital and technological sovereignty.
Acting decisively is also important in another policy area that is our focus this week: trade policy. Our trade experts Etienne Höra and Thieß Petersen have just published new figures on what concluding additional trade agreements and deepening existing ones would mean for growth.
The answer: not much. The real benefits of individual trade agreements accrue for other reasons – be they geopolitical or because agreements strongly benefit particular sectors. In a situation where Europe is confronted with massive trade challenges from both China and the U.S., this means that the EU should probably concentrate its efforts on those trade agreements that have considerable bang for the political buck – and otherwise to redirect resources towards making good use of Europe’s considerable arsenal of trade defence instruments.
Best regards from Berlin,
Lucas Guttenberg
Director, Europe’s Future Programme
