Economic security is fast emerging as a strategic priority for Europe as a whole. The EU is expanding its partnerships with like-minded allies, yet despite new and wide-ranging Strategic Partnership agreed earlier this year, engagement with the United Kingdom (UK) remains merely nascent. Starting from the premise that any viable framework must start from a recognition of shared interests, this paper maps shared trade vulnerabilities to identify incentives for cooperation. It then analyses both sides’ offensive interests in retaining an open and rules-based geoeconomic order.
It concludes that both sets of shared interest provide a solid foundation for renewed cooperation, which is best achieved through small, concrete steps rather than a grand design. Long-term success will depend on two conditions. First, the UK must be willing to engage with the EU in ways that open the door to alignment with aspects of EU trade policy. Second, both sides must develop a shared strategic understanding on engagement with China, which is plumb centre of the ‘defensive’ agenda.
>
