European Strategic Autonomy and the European Single Market: Foes or Friends?

This (legal) research project takes a closer look at the extent to which recent EU initiatives to contribute to the strategic autonomy of the EU, on the one hand, and the rules protecting the European single market, on the other, are (in)compatible. In recent years, many voices have been raised arguing that the aforementioned rules are too stringent, hinder the growth of the European economy and should therefore be relaxed, or even abolished. In addition, it is argued that they jeopardize Europe’s strategic autonomy and impede the development of a robust EU industrial policy. Curiously, however, little research has been done on the extent to which single market rules effectively hinder the development of an industrial policy. Based on a reading, analysis and evaluation of relevant rules, EU case law, and relevant literature, this project delves deeper into the current state of EU internal market law (here: the four fundamental freedoms on the one hand, and EU competition policy on the other) and its interaction with Europe’s search for strategic autonomy.

The project will be carried out by myself and one predoc (to be hired), who will work on a proposal for the FWO's aspirant programme. The project is in line with one of the main research domains of the Brussels Centre for Competition Policy: the interaction between EU competition policy and industrial policy. Through its own (legal) angle, the project fills a gap in the research conducted by this research group.