What changed

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

P10_TA(2026)0204

on the roleRole of trade in strengthening the EU’sEU's economic security

(2025/2113(INI))

Committee on International Trade

PE784.220

European Parliament resolution of 16 June 2026 on the role of trade in strengthening the EU’s economic security (2025/2113(INI))

The European Parliament,

K. whereas economic security must ultimately serve the EU’s citizens; whereas the ability to withstand and manage external economic shocks is a prerequisite for the preservation of living standards, the continuity of public services and the maintenance of social cohesion; whereas economic security policy must therefore be assessed not only in terms of macroeconomic aggregates or strategic interests, but also with reference to its concrete impact on the well-being of citizens;

I. The evolving economic security risk landscape

1. Welcomes the joint communication of 3 December 2025 as a necessary step to strengthen the EU’s common approach to economic security; notes that further steps are necessary to operationalise the EU’s economic security objectives, including an action plan, a roadmap and concrete targets on de-risking supply chains in strategic sectors;

7. Welcomes the Commission’s plan to create a comprehensive, systematic, regularly updated assessment of the EU’s most critical dependencies along value chains, and calls for these assessments to include an analysis of vulnerabilities that could potentially result in EU chokepoints, including quantified data on import concentrations and global market shares by country and sector;

II. Prevention through diversification, innovation and competitiveness

8. Emphasises that economic security must not be interpreted as economic isolation; reaffirms that openness to sustainable trade and investment, combined with measures aimed at addressing unfair competition and the diversification of partners, suppliers, energy imports and transport routes, is one of the EU’s primary means of reducing structural vulnerability to external shocks and disruptions in critical sectors and to coercive practices; emphasises that strengthening the EU’s resilience and economic security should be an explicit objective of any EU trade or investment partnership; stresses that fostering demand for EU-produced alternatives and creating EU-based sectoral ecosystems are key to credibly building the EU’s economic security;

29. Underlines that the EU’s critical raw materials diplomacy should extend beyond extraction and access to primary resources and should systematically address processing, refining and downstream activities, where strategic vulnerabilities and concentration risks remain particularly acute;

III. Monitoring, managing and mitigating identified risks

30. Concludes that reinforcing the EU’s economic security is key to safeguarding the EU’s economic and political sovereignty, the integrity of the single market, the resilience of supply chains, the economic viability of EU companies and the livelihoods of EU citizens, including with respect to quality jobs; underlines that a comprehensive and integrated economic security approach should be aimed not only at reducing external dependencies, but also at building strategic autonomy in critical raw materials, technology, energy, transport, finance and digital infrastructure; therefore calls on the Commission to mainstream economic security across all industrial policies, including sectoral legislation and supply chain risk assessments, to ensure a consistent approach;

39. Welcomes the Commission proposal of 7 October 2025 for a regulation addressing the negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity on the Union steel market as an acknowledgement of the strategic importance of maintaining a viable European steel sector; underlines that the loss of European steel production capacity would constitute an irreversible risk to economic security; notes, however, that the problem of overcapacity is not limited to steel and aluminium but also affects many other sectors, such as chemicals, and products derived from steel and aluminium; is concerned that trade defence investigations are too slow, resource-intensive and product-specific to adequately address the economy-wide distortions occasioned by overcapacity; believes that the EU should equip itself with appropriate instruments to monitor and address systemic overcapacity throughout the value chain;

IV. Trade policy instruments, enforcement and deterrence

40. Stresses that deterrence and competitiveness are weakened where enforcement action is delayed, inconsistent or perceived as uncertain; calls, therefore, on the Commission to ensure timely decision-making, clear activation criteria and predictable consequences once the presence or threat of economic security risks or unfair practices has been established;

56. Stresses that the EU’s common security and defence policy should ensure coherence with EU economic security objectives; underlines that strategic dependencies, supply chain vulnerabilities and coercive economic practices increasingly have direct security implications and impact the capacity of the EU’s defence technological and industrial base; calls for economic security considerations to be systematically integrated into EU strategic policies, defence planning and crisis response mechanisms in order to strengthen the EU’s preparedness and resilience in an increasingly contested geopolitical environment;

V. Investment, capital flows and strategic exposure

57. Welcomes the ongoing legislative work on the industrial accelerator act and underlines its potential to contribute to the EU’s economic security objectives; considers that the act could make a substantial contribution to reducing strategic dependencies and enhancing the EU’s resilience to external shocks and coercive practices;

75. Stresses that economic security risks may also arise after an investment has taken place and underlines the need for effective monitoring and risk assessment of post-investment developments, including governance, strategic decision-making and the potential transfer of critical technologies or know-how in order to ensure that the objectives of the EU’s investment screening framework are fully met;

VI. Economic security across sectoral policies

76. Considers maritime transport routes, ports and logistics services to be critical economic security assets and stresses that safeguarding freedom of navigation should be a key diplomatic and military objective for the EU; calls for stronger EU-level contingency planning and coordinated preparedness mechanisms to address prolonged disruptions affecting major maritime chokepoints, such as the Strait of Hormuz;

100. Underlines that financial messaging systems, including SWIFT, constitute critical infrastructure for the functioning of the global financial system and the EU’s external trade; notes that past instances of geopolitical tensions and sanctions regimes have demonstrated the implications of access to such systems; stresses the importance of ensuring the resilience, autonomy and legal certainty of the EU’s financial infrastructure, including through safeguards against undue external interference or disruptions that could affect the continuity of economic activity;

VII. Multilateral engagement and partnerships

101. Reaffirms the EU’s commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO as the most developed framework for managing global economic interdependency and addressing economic security risks in a predictable and non-discriminatory manner;

108. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The European Union’s prosperity, social model and global influence are founded on openness, competitiveness and deep integration into the world economy. Trade and investment have long been engines of growth, innovation and stability. At the same time, recent years have demonstrated that economic interdependency can be weaponised, disrupted or exploited in ways that directly affect Europe’s security, resilience and strategic autonomy.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, repeated disruptions to global transport routes, and the increasing use of economic coercion have exposed structural vulnerabilities in supply chains, access to critical inputs and key infrastructure. These developments reflect a lasting transformation of the international environment, characterised by intensified geopolitical rivalry and systemic competition. In this context, economic security has become an essential dimension of the Union’s overall security and foreign policy.

This own-initiative report sets out the European Parliament’s position in light of the Joint Communication of December 2025 on Strengthening EU economic security. It aims to respond to this evolving risk landscape by reaffirming that openness to trade and investment remains the Union’s primary source of strength, rejecting protectionism and economic isolation as automatic responses to geopolitical uncertainty. Instead, it promotes diversification, competitiveness and deeper integration within the single market as the most effective and sustainable foundations for resilience. Multiple, balanced and rules-based interdependencies with reliable partners are essential to reducing strategic vulnerabilities while preserving economic dynamism.

Trade agreements and strategic partnerships play a central role in this approach. Beyond their traditional market access function, they are increasingly instruments for promoting supply-chain transparency, fair competition, access to critical raw materials and regulatory cooperation. The report therefore calls for an ambitious and coherent trade agenda that supports resilience while maintaining high standards and legal certainty for economic operators.

At the same time, the report recognises that diversification alone is not sufficient to address certain high-risk dependencies and strategic exposures. In certain cases, targeted mitigating measures are necessary to safeguard essential Union interests. Such measures must remain proportionate, evidence-based and subject to continuous review. Similarly, avoiding fragmentation, overregulation and unnecessary administrative burdens is crucial to preserving Europe’s competitiveness and investment attractiveness.

Effective economic security also depends on the credible enforcement of existing rules. Delayed or inconsistent application of trade defence, enforcement and other instruments weakens deterrence and undermines confidence. The report therefore stresses the need for timely, predictable and coordinated enforcement, combined with a gradual and reversible escalation framework that preserves legal certainty and room for de-escalation.

Investment flows are another key dimension of economic security. While foreign and outbound investment are vital drivers of innovation and growth, they may also generate strategic risks when sensitive technologies, infrastructure or decision-making capacities become vulnerable to external influence. The report highlights the importance of robust and harmonised implementation of the EU’s foreign direct investment screening framework, as well as systematic risk assessments related to outbound investment and technology transfers. Particular attention is given to advanced digital, industrial, space and energy technologies that underpin the Union’s long-term competitiveness.

The report further underlines that economic security cannot be achieved in isolation. A strong, predictable and rules-based multilateral trading system remains the ideal framework for managing global interdependency. The European Union must continue to lead efforts to reform and strengthen the World Trade Organization. However, fostering closer cooperation with trusted partners is essential to building networked resilience, enhancing preparedness and sharing best practices against economic coercion.

Finally, the report emphasises the importance of democratic accountability and transparency. Economic security measures often involve far-reaching implications for businesses, workers and consumers. The European Parliament, and particularly the Committee on International Trade, must therefore play a central role in scrutinising their design, implementation and impact. Effective parliamentary oversight is essential to ensure that economic security policies remain balanced, proportionate and consistent with the Union’s values and legal framework.

This report seeks to contribute to a coherent European approach that strengthens economic security without compromising openness, competitiveness and the rules-based international order. It promotes a pragmatic, risk-based and forward-looking strategy that reinforces Europe’s resilience while preserving the foundations of its prosperity and global engagement.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he included in his report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

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