Defence & Security Trumps Climate Change & Energy In New Strategic Agenda

The 'Strategic Agenda' agreed upon at the 27 June European Council summit is intended as a set of (non-binding) aims for policy direction in key areas under the next European Commission running from 2024 to 2029. The document focuses more on areas of defence and security, and economic competitiveness, rather than energy and climate change.

• The prominent topics outlined in the document relate to upholding EU standards globally in areas such as rule of law, democratic and human rights and protecting media freedoms. Then the document moves onto defence and security, stating that the Union will adapt in 'asserting the European Union’s ambition and role as a strategic global player in the new multipolar geopolitical context'. It calls on the EU to 'reduce our strategic dependencies, scale up our capacities and strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base accordingly' while touting a role for the EIB but leaving out sections on joint debt issuance to fund defence projects.
• Issues around climate change and energy are relegated to the second-to-last set of objectives, with the agenda claiming that 'We will pursue a just and fair climate transition, with the aim of staying competitive globally and increasing our energy sovereignty. Accelerating the energy transition, we will build a genuine energy union, securing the supply of abundant, affordable and clean energy.'
• The fact that this agenda only acts as a broad roadmap rather than a definitive set of targets means that there is significant room for changes in policy direction depending on political and economic realities.