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Commerce and Security Meet in the European Union’s Trade Defence Instruments

Author

Listed:
  • Patricia Garcia-Duran

    (Department of Economic History, Institutions, Policy and World Economy, University of Barcelona, Spain)

  • L. Johan Eliasson

    (Political Science and Economics, East Stroudsburg University, USA)

  • Oriol Costa

    (Faculty of Political Science and Sociology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain / Barcelona Institute of International Studies, Spain)

Abstract

Mercantilist policies, protectionism, Chinese and US violations of the spirit—if not always the rules—of the World Trade Organization, along with supply chain vulnerabilities, trade wars, and illegal state subsidies have all contributed to a rise in the weaponisation of commerce (using trade in response to, or to achieve, political decisions or acts) across the globe. The weaponisation and geo-politicisation of trade pose a challenge for the EU, which is poorly suited for a game of power politics. Its common commercial policy developed separately from the intergovernmental foreign and security policy. The level of exclusive EU competence differs across the two policy domains, as do decision-making processes. Drawing on work addressing ideational and instrumental levels of policy, we discuss how the EU is assessing the international environment through the ideational framework of strategic autonomy, and how this has shaped the construction of new trade defence instruments intended to protect against economic and technology-related security risks. Focusing specifically on trade defence instruments addressing security concerns, which are justified in the 2023 European Economic Security Strategy (especially in the pillar focusing on protecting against economic security risks), we show that the distinction between commercial policy and traditional security concerns is eroding.

Suggested Citation

  • Patricia Garcia-Duran & L. Johan Eliasson & Oriol Costa, 2023. "Commerce and Security Meet in the European Union’s Trade Defence Instruments," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 165-176.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v:11:y:2023:i:4:p:165-176
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Scott Lavery & Davide Schmid, 2021. "European Integration and the New Global Disorder," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(5), pages 1322-1338, September.
    2. Kim B. Olsen, 2022. "Diplomatic Realisation of the EU’s “Geoeconomic Pivot”: Sanctions, Trade, and Development Policy Reform," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 10(1), pages 5-15.
    3. Asle Toje, 2011. "The European Union as a Small Power," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 43-60, January.
    4. L. Johan Eliasson & Patricia Garcia‐Duran, 2023. "New is old? The EU's Open, Sustainable and Assertive Trade Policy," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(S3), pages 9-18, July.
    5. Luuk Schmitz & Timo Seidl, 2023. "As Open as Possible, as Autonomous as Necessary: Understanding the Rise of Open Strategic Autonomy in EU Trade Policy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 834-852, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Guri Rosén & Sophie Meunier, 2023. "Economic Security and the Politics of Trade and Investment Policy in Europe," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 122-128.

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