On May 19, the European Networks Circle hosted Bernd Biervert, Chief of Staff to Maroš Šefčovič, for an exchange on the major shifts shaping European trade policy at a pivotal moment, as geopolitics is fundamentally redefining the rules of global commerce.
➡️ Europe facing a major geo-economic shiftThe central challenge is now clear: reconciling economic openness with strategic security in an environment that has become structurally more confrontational.
Free trade is not disappearing, but it is being reshaped. It is becoming more conditional, more selective, and increasingly aligned with objectives of economic sovereignty, industrial resilience, and reduced critical dependencies.
In this context, trade agreements remain a key lever of “de-risking”, but their effectiveness now depends as much on their signature as on their swift and consistent implementation by Member States.
➡️ From trade policy to economic power: Europe’s industrial turn
A gradual but structural shift is underway: European trade policy is increasingly embedded within an industrial policy logic.
In the face of the United States and China, the EU is moving beyond a predominantly defensive approach to develop a more assertive capacity for action: targeted support for strategic industries, more deliberate use of public procurement, and stronger conditionality based on reciprocity.
Instruments such as the Industrial Acceleration Act illustrate this evolution: the objective is no longer only to open markets, but to ensure fair competitive conditions and preserve Europe’s industrial capabilities in critical sectors.
➡️ China, United States: towards a more assertive European doctrine
The China question is currently crystallising the tensions within the European model: how to protect its productive base without triggering further fragmentation of the global trading system?
The EU is seeking to design a sector-specific, targeted, and legally robust response to structural imbalances, while avoiding escalation.
At the same time, transatlantic relations confirm that economic power dynamics have become a lasting feature of the international trade system.
Europe in strategic transition
Ultimately, the European Union is in the process of redefining its doctrine: moving from a primarily norm-setting power focused on openness, to an economic power seeking to manage dependencies, secure value chains, and assert reciprocity. This transformation is still unfolding, but it marks a long-term structural shift.