Europe’s Strategic Dependencies (ESP Series 1)
European Strategic Policy Unit
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Series 1 — Compiled Edition
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July 2026
Europe’s Strategic
Dependencies
Ten policy briefs mapping the dependencies that will determine whether the European Union can act as a coherent power in an era that demands it.
Editor’s Note
The post-Cold War order is over. The assumptions that interdependence would restrain coercion, that American security guarantees were permanent, that rules-based multilateralism would hold, have not survived contact with the decade we are living through.
It is in this context that Euro Prospects launched its European Strategic Policy Unit. In this inaugural series, ten analysts have mapped ten of Europe’s most critical strategic dependencies domain by domain: from 5G hardware and satellite connectivity to artillery propellant chemistry and the South Caucasus gas routes on which European energy security now rests.
Each brief identifies why its dependency persists and proposes policy responses grounded in what the EU’s institutional architecture can actually deliver. The conclusions differ. The conviction does not: the window to act is open, and will not stay that way.
Francesco Bernabeu Fornara
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Euro Prospects
Unit Head, European Strategic Policy
July 2026
Ten Policy Briefs
The Series
01
Chinese Overcapacity
How Europe’s Reliance on Chinese Overcapacity Is a Critical Strategic Dependency
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02
Gas Supply Dependency
Europe’s Gas Dependency and the Search for Resilient Energy Alternatives
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03
Green Electrification Diplomacy
Green Electrification Diplomacy and Europe’s Strategic Energy Transition
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04
Trade & Industrial Policy
Reshaping EU Trade and Industrial Policy for Strategic Autonomy
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05
Caucasus Pipeline Chokepoint
The South Caucasus as a Critical Chokepoint for European Energy Security
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06
Defence Technology Union
Towards a Defence Technology Union: Closing Europe’s Strategic Digital Gap
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07
Digital Product Passports
Digital Product Passports and the Future of European Supply Chain Resilience
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08
Ammunition Stabilisers
Without Stabilisers, Europe’s Ammunition Stockpiles Are Just Years Away From Failure
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09
5G Hardware Sovereignty
To Secure 5G Hardware, Europe Needs a Transparent Sovereignty-First Procurement Policy
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10
IRIS² Space Sovereignty
Only a Fully Backed IRIS² Can Deliver Europe’s Sovereign Alternative to Starlink
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Compiled Print Edition
Download the Full Series
All ten policy briefs, the editor’s foreword, and full author profiles in a single publication — formatted for reading and citation.
European Strategic Policy Unit
Francesco Bernabeu FornaraHead of Unit · Editor-in-Chief, EP
Giulia ConvertiniDigital Systems Sovereignty
Finn Sands RobinsonTrade & Industrial Strategy
Rimsha ArifEnergy Market Resilience
Matilde MinettiEU-China Strategic Competition
Orla HarrisDigital Infrastructure Sovereignty
Jerfi WigleySupply Chain Resilience
Annika GerbigDefence Industrial Autonomy
Trinabh BanerjeeStrategic Digital Security
Luka OkropirashviliEastern Neighbourhood
Juan Carlos LeunissenTransport & Energy Connectivity
Erik Giuliano WürthnerESP O&P Coordinator
Antoine Cerqueira da CostaFintech Sovereignty
Sofia CigoliniEU Financial Architecture
About Euro Prospects
Euro Prospects is an independent platform for in-depth analysis of European political affairs, founded in June 2022. We bring together students and young professionals from across the continent to produce sober, high-quality analysis on the issues shaping Europe today.
Visit Euro ProspectsAbout the ESP Unit
The European Strategic Policy Unit is Euro Prospects’ dedicated think tank department. We produce forward-facing, policy-actionable analysis on European strategic sovereignty across defence, technology, trade, energy, industry, and digital infrastructure.
ESP Landing PageCite This Series
European Strategic Policy Unit, Euro Prospects. Europe’s Most Critical Strategic Dependencies: ESP Series 1. Euro Prospects, July 2026. Available at: europrospects.eu
