# Strengthening EU Economy Security Canonical URL: https://digital-acquis.eu/initiative/strengthening-eu-economy-security Entry type: initiative Source edition current through: 17 July 2026 (2026-07-17). This is not a page modification date. Status: delivered. A delivered initiative is not necessarily legislation in force. Instrument: Communication Date as recorded: 03 Dec 2025 Date kind: date Status note: full date links only to published artifact types ## Summary Strengthening EU Economy Security centres on faster risk assessment, shared intelligence and action to reduce dependencies in critical supply chains, technologies and infrastructure. The Commission proposes an Economic Security Information Hub, stronger coordination with Member States, an adviser group involving businesses, trade-resilience information and an expanded Observatory on Critical Technologies. It will also consider funding safeguards, foreign-investment screening guidance, dual-use export-control evaluation, trade-defence tools, customs measures, procurement preferences and restrictions on high-risk suppliers. ## Sources - [Official source]() ## Action items (32; complete published list) ### 1. Action item 550001 Improve its information gathering and analysis capacity by advancing risk assessments more rapidly on specific critical supply chains, critical infrastructure and critical technologies, and launching regular calls for evidence to obtain industry and stakeholder input into supply chain vulnerabilities and exposure to external pressure. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 1. Digital dimension: no. ### 2. Action item 550002 Promote greater coordination and information exchange through its EconomicSecurity Network with Member States. The Commission will use the Network to promote scenario development, align understanding of threats, risks and scope for mitigation, facilitate information exchange and support implementation, particularly in the use of the tools that are in the remit of Member State responsibilities. In this context, the Commission will ensure that there are suitable information systems available to support the rapid and secure exchange of classified information among and with MemberStates on economic security issues – including on risk assessments, critical and high-risk entities, and transactions of potential concern. This will complement the work of the EU stockpiling network, which focuses on ensuring the supply of essential goods in crisis situations. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 2. Digital dimension: no. ### 3. Action item 550003 Create an Economic Security Information Hub where with the support of EEAS, INTCEN/SIAC, the EU’s Delegation network and Member States,as well as existing Single Market economic monitoring tools like the Supply Chain Alert Notification (SCAN); it will map and consolidate available information under existing public and private mechanisms and coordinate the collection of additional information relevant for economic security. This will include a market monitoring mechanism to collect information on developments in high-risk areas, including rapid information on trade flows in sectors subject to diversification to ensure that EU action isn’t undermined. It will also consolidate information on high-risk entities to support the process of assessing eligibility for EU funding and participation in an EU investment or procurement process. In addition, the European Customs Authority and the EU Customs Data Hub would allow to efficiently support and enforce the implementation of the related EU economicsecurity initiatives facilitating also the exchange of relevant information. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 3. Digital dimension: no. ### 4. Action item 550004 Intensify structured engagement by EU Delegations, liaising with Member State Missions, other EU bodies and the EU business community present in third countries; to ensure effective contributions to risk assessments, monitoring and mitigation with regard to economic security, including by facilitating business-to-business and business-to-government exchanges. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 4. Digital dimension: no. ### 5. Action item 550005 Assess by Q3 2026 the extent to which the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA) allows to gather company level supply chain information from businesses in high-risk sectors. In light of this analysis, the Commission will assess the necessity for further measures. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 5. Digital dimension: no. ### 6. Action item 550006 Recommend that Member States nominate senior-level National Economic SecurityAdvisers responsible for cross-government coordination of economic security risk assessment and mitigation. The Commission will promote greater policy coordination and joint actions by regularly bringing these advisers together. It also invites the Council of the EU to consider regularly convening the relevant Council formations for political-level discussions. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 6. Digital dimension: no. ### 7. Action item 550007 Create a trusted adviser group drawn from EU business representatives to, among others, advise on specific risks and potential responses as well as discuss de-risking strategies. The Commission will regularly invite industry representatives to participate in sector-specific discussions of the Economic Security Network and, where relevant, debrief European Commissioners. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 7. Digital dimension: no. ### 8. Action item 550008 Set up a Trade Resilience Information Portal to provide EU businesses with up-to-date information, as part of the Access to Markets (A2M) portal, on export restrictions and other restrictive measures imposed by third countries, as well as on the potential risks linked to the need to build EU resilience. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 8. Digital dimension: no. ### 9. Action item 550009 Expand the Observatory on Critical Technologies to identify, monitor and analyse the defence and space industry and related supply chains, and to cover emerging technologies and to support implementation at EU and national level of the resulting EU technology roadmaps. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 9. Digital dimension: no. ### 10. Action item 550010 Use the future Centre of Expertise on Research Security to promote research security and increase the research community’s resilience, including by developing a due diligence platform to support universities in choosing their international partners. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 10. Digital dimension: no. ### 11. Action item 550011 Explore ways to align and integrate candidate countries with our economic securityapproach, especially in those areas where their economic security vulnerabilities can pose a security risk to the EU. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 11. Digital dimension: no. ### 12. Action item 550012 Going forward, the Commission will incentivise in its funding activities projectsthat support the EU’s economic security. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 12. Digital dimension: no. ### 13. Action item 550013 In particular it should mobilise a sufficient level of funding for reducing dependencies of critical technologies, components and materials especially in strategic sectors as space and defence, including to fully implement the Observatory for Critical Technologies’ (OCT) technology roadmaps. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 13. Digital dimension: no. ### 14. Action item 550014 The Commission, Member States and implementing partners should seek to prevent access by high-risk entities to sensitive Union supported actions. Article 136 of the Financial Regulation provides a horizontal legal base to protect the EU’s security and public order when the Commission and implementing partners implement the EU budget. This allows preventing high-risk entities from benefitting from EU funds as well as restricting access to EU funds in the strategic sectors and areas of critical technology and infrastructure by entities coming from third countries which undermine the EU economic security interests. For the avoidance of doubt implementing partners should refrain from supporting projects that contradict the above, including in operations at own risk. To that end and to ensure better policy alignment between EU programmes and economic security aims guidance will be made available in Q1 2026, thereby supporting the development of a more cohesive and effective approach. Furthermore, the Commission will encourage the Member States, the EIB group and otherIFIs/national promotional banks and institutions that are implementingnational or EU budgets to prioritise support to EU businesses that reduce foreign dependencies in critical sectors, especially for specific projects, critical technologies and critical infrastructure identified as high-risk. Similarly, third- country high-risk suppliers should be prevented from accessing EU and national funding where those third countries, based on specific criteria, are identified as undermining EU economic security interests. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 14. Digital dimension: no. ### 15. Action item 550015 FDI screening: Develop guidelines drawing on the experience of implementing the current FDI Screening Regulation to ensure national screening authorities approach screening consistently, including in strategic sectors. The guidelines would also set out how to take account of the potential cumulative risk of multiple investments.This will be complemented by guidance on the interplay between any EU level requirements and the application of national screening mechanisms in the financial sector. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 15. Digital dimension: no. ### 16. Action item 550016 Export Controls of Dual-Use items: Carry out an overall evaluation of the Dual-Use Export Control Regulation. As part of this evaluation, the Commission will assess whether the Regulation achieves its objectives in the context of the new geopolitical and geoeconomic realities, including the impacts of increasing recourse to unilateral controls that may also impact the Single Market. It will continue exploring with Member States how to efficiently adopt European controls in emerging technology areas in this new context. During the evaluation process, the Commission will ensure active outreach to stakeholders from the Member States, industry, research institutes and academia. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 16. Digital dimension: no. ### 17. Action item 550017 Trade defence instruments: When a case of relevance for the EU’s economic security is initiated, the EU’seconomic security will be reflected in the conduct of the investigation and in the design of possible measures. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 17. Digital dimension: no. ### 18. Action item 550018 Internal Market, Customs and Competition tools: Make full use of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation to maintain fair competition in areas where foreign subsidies lead to distortions that pose economic security risks. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 18. Digital dimension: no. ### 19. Action item 550019 Encourage Member States to make full use of existing State aid possibilities, such as the Clean Industrial State Aid Framework, the Regional Aid Guidelines, the Research Development and Innovation framework, the General Block Exemption Regulation and important projects of common European interest as instruments to build greater resilience. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 19. Digital dimension: no. ### 20. Action item 550020 Review the use of strategic customs instruments (tariff suspensions,autonomous quotas) for key inputs with the view to support the competitiveness of Union enterprises. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 20. Digital dimension: no. ### 21. Action item 550021 Explore putting in place on a pilot basis an EU-level start-up monitoring mechanismaimed at identifying startups in critical technology areas that are vulnerable to therisk of hostile foreign acquisitions, redirecting them to EU investment alternatives and other forms of support (e.g., advisory, capacity-building, matchmaking with investors). The mechanism would work in lockstep with existing initiatives, such as the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 21. Digital dimension: no. ### 22. Action item 550022 Work with supervisory authorities to monitor portfolio investments, (that fall outside the scope of the FDI coordination mechanism), in areas identified as high-risk for economic security purposes. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 22. Digital dimension: no. ### 23. Action item 550023 Include an economic security component for key strategic sectors in the upcoming Competitiveness Coordination Tool. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 23. Digital dimension: no. ### 24. Action item 550024 Strengthen the EU’s industrial base and supply chains resilience through the IndustrialAccelerator Act. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 24. Digital dimension: no. ### 25. Action item 550025 As outlined in ResourceEU, further develop secondary markets for critical raw materials, including through the Circular Economy Act, to make it easier to finance strategic CRM projects in areas identified as high-risk for economic security purposes. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 25. Digital dimension: no. ### 26. Action item 550026 Assess by Q3 2026 ways of strengthening the protection of the industry from unfairtrade policies and negative global market developments, such as overcapacity. Here, the Commission will evaluate the effectiveness and adequacy of the existing tools and consider the necessity of possible new measures. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 26. Digital dimension: no. ### 27. Action item 550027 Review the Blocking Statute to simplify its application and reduce compliance costs for EU persons and businesses and create a credible deterrent against the extra-territorial application of third-country sanctions. This will strengthen European economic security by better protecting EU operators from conflicting third-country measures and by ensuring a more predictable, effective and assertive framework. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 27. Digital dimension: no. ### 28. Action item 550028 Explore the modalities of encouraging companies in specific high-risk sectors to ensure that supplies are sourced from at least two different suppliers and limit exposure to a single dominant supplier. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 28. Digital dimension: no. ### 29. Action item 550029 Explore the scope to provide financial support to companies subject to FDI screeningdecisions in situations where their financial viability may be at risk absent an investment, without prejudice to State aid rules. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 29. Digital dimension: no. ### 30. Action item 550030 As part of the review of the Public Procurement Directives, propose Europeanpreference criteria in specific strategic sectors in which our public procurement stimulates demand for European industrial leadership, increases our resilience and mitigates risks for security. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 30. Digital dimension: no. ### 31. Action item 550031 Incentivise companies to reduce dependencies in emerging technology areas as part of the upcoming Chips Act 2.0, Quantum Act, Cloud and AI Development Act and Commission Strategy on Open Source. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 31. Digital dimension: no. ### 32. Action item 550032 Use the upcoming review of the Cybersecurity Act to enact at EU level restrictions on access of high-risk suppliers to critical infrastructure. Provenance: source document doc-069, paragraph 32. Digital dimension: no. ## Referenced entries - [Startup and Scaleup Strategy]() — status: not recorded. The strategy aims to make it easier for innovative companies to start, grow and operate across Europe. It combines simpler company rules and digital administration with better access to finance, markets, talent and research infrastructure. Proposed measures include the 28th regime, the European Business Wallet, regulatory sandboxes and support for deep-tech investment. Work on research commercialisation, intellectual property and procurement is intended to help ideas reach customers. Talent initiatives address education, mobility and recruitment, while common definitions, a scoreboard and an annual founder survey would track changes in the startup and scaleup environment. Source document doc-069, action item 550021: > Explore putting in place on a pilot basis an EU-level start-up monitoring mechanismaimed at identifying startups in critical technology areas that are vulnerable to therisk of hostile foreign acquisitions, redirecting them to EU investment alternatives and other forms of support (e.g., advisory, capacity-building, matchmaking with investors). The mechanism would work in lockstep with existing initiatives, such as the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. - [Quantum Act]() — status: forthcoming. The Act will make the Quantum Europe Strategy operational, fixing fragmentation by aligning EU and national programmes around a shared RTI agenda and targets. It sets EU-level governance and extends the Chips Joint Undertaking’s remit to quantum technologies, coordinating investments across EU programmes. It anchors a three-stage pipeline—Discover; Lab-to-fab via pilot lines, design tools and standards; Apply & use in lead sectors, while scaling pan-European infrastructures in quantum computing, secure communication (EuroQCI) and sensing. The Act backs skills and industrialisation, strengthens supply chains. It also drives standardisation and interoperability and fosters talent attraction. Source document doc-069, action item 550031: > Incentivise companies to reduce dependencies in emerging technology areas as part of the upcoming Chips Act 2.0, Quantum Act, Cloud and AI Development Act and Commission Strategy on Open Source. - [Chips Act 2.0]() — status: in progress. The review will sharpen Europe’s semiconductor strategy for the AI era, addressing gaps in leading-edge capacity and ecosystem resilience. It will prioritise energy-efficient, secure AI chips; streamline State-aid pathways; improve monitoring of supply-chain vulnerabilities and technology-leakage risks; and better coordinate EU-national programmes. Leveraging the Chips Joint Undertaking and EuroHPC, it will back new fabs and advanced packaging lines and tie support to strategic projects. The review aligns with the AI Continent agenda (i.e. powering AI Factories and forthcoming Gigafactories and setting requirements for European AI semiconductors) within a renewed, more coherent EU funding framework. Source document doc-069, action item 550031: > Incentivise companies to reduce dependencies in emerging technology areas as part of the upcoming Chips Act 2.0, Quantum Act, Cloud and AI Development Act and Commission Strategy on Open Source. - [Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA)]() — status: in progress. This law will close Europe’s compute gap by tripling data-centre capacity within 5–7 years and meeting economy-wide needs by 2035, underpinning AI development and sovereign cloud services. It will harmonise cloud policy, set minimum criteria (including for a narrow set of highly critical use cases run on highly secure EU-based cloud), and streamline permitting, site designation and access to energy/water, ensuring geographically balanced rollout. The Act will spur R&I in resource-efficient data centres, enable targeted support consistent with State-aid rules, and complement AI Factories/Gigafactories and the Chips Act ecosystem. Source document doc-069, action item 550031: > Incentivise companies to reduce dependencies in emerging technology areas as part of the upcoming Chips Act 2.0, Quantum Act, Cloud and AI Development Act and Commission Strategy on Open Source. - [Competitiveness Coordination Tool (CCT)]() — status: not recorded. The Competitiveness Coordination Tool joins the EU, Member States and industry to deploy major investment projects and pursue reforms supporting strategic value chains. Current projects range from AI Gigafactories and clean-transport corridors to batteries, energy connections, chemicals, med-biotech, bio-based materials, offsite construction, circularity hubs and advanced chips. Examples include €20 billion being mobilised for AI Gigafactories and €10 million of initial EU funding for the European Med-Biotech Accelerator. The Tool is testing a new way to coordinate investment across Member States. Source document doc-069, action item 550023: > Include an economic security component for key strategic sectors in the upcoming Competitiveness Coordination Tool. - [Circular Economy Act (CEA)]() — status: forthcoming. The Act will create a true Single Market for waste and secondary raw materials, boosting supply and demand for quality recyclates at competitive prices. It will harmonise end-of-waste criteria, simplify and expand extended producer responsibility (including a one-stop producer registry), and revise e-waste rules to recover critical materials, while aligning with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products framework. Public procurement criteria, incentives for scrap use, and digitalised demolition permits will accelerate circular design and recycling. Strong enforcement—including for e-commerce channels—will ensure compliance. Source document doc-069, action item 550025: > As outlined in ResourceEU, further develop secondary markets for critical raw materials, including through the Circular Economy Act, to make it easier to finance strategic CRM projects in areas identified as high-risk for economic security purposes. ## Current developments Latest updates from Digital Policy Alert and Global Trade Alert. No reviewed developments available; this does not establish that no developments exist. ## Associated policy priorities - [External Strategy, Security & Democratic Resilience]() ## Broader policy context (shared priority; not a direct citation) - [Action Plan on Drone and Counter Drone Security]() — status: delivered. Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security prioritises a Drone Security Package, coordinated risk assessment and industrial coordination to address drone threats. Proposed actions include registration and direct remote identification for drones above 100g, D-TECT Forum launch in Q2 2026, a Drone Security Toolbox and an EU Trusted Drone Label. The plan also covers resilience testing for critical infrastructure, training, cellular detection, voluntary deployment and procurement, annual exercises, a centre of excellence and cooperation with Ukraine. - [Action Plan on the Cybersecurity of Hospitals and Healthcare Providers]() — status: delivered. Healthcare cybersecurity action is centred on a European Cybersecurity Support Centre, sector-specific guidance, maturity assessment and incident-response support. Planned measures include a rapid-response service in the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, a Health Cybersecurity Advisory Board, a network of health CISOs, cyber exercises and a ransomware recovery subscription service. The plan also covers cyber hygiene, threat intelligence, procurement guidance, training, regulatory mapping and international cooperation. - [Digitalisation of Return Case Management]() — status: forthcoming. The Commission will table a dedicated initiative to digitalise Member States’ return case management, as part of a new common approach on returns. COM(2025) 101 sets a common return system and, in Art. 42(1)(d), makes national digital systems for return/readmission/reintegration a core component; a separate act will specify interoperability, once-only data flows and statistics. The Commission’s Political Guidelines commit to digitalising case management; von der Leyen’s 17 March letter signalled presentation by end-2025. A 2026 consultation under the Work Programme will prepare governance and implementation, aligning with SIS/Eurodac and digital-by-default delivery while ensuring uniform practice across the Union. - [DigitalJustice@2030]() — status: delivered. The Commission's justice digitalisation programme will expand shared tools, data availability and cross-border digital cooperation. It plans a repository of digital justice tools, an IT toolbox, exchanges among Member States and guidance on high-risk AI. Other actions cover legal and judicial-data reuse, common videoconferencing requirements, remote participation in criminal hearings, support for national digitalisation and further development of the European Electronic Access Point. - [EU Action Plan on Cable Security]() — status: delivered. EU Action Plan on Cable Security aims to prevent, detect and respond to risks affecting submarine cables. By Q4 2025, the Commission, Member States and ENISA are to complete cable mapping, a coordinated risk assessment, a Cable Security Toolbox and a priority list of Cable Projects of European Interest. Further measures address investment, integrated surveillance, regional hubs, sensors, surveillance drones, incident reporting, repair vessels and spare parts, alongside crisis response, NATO cooperation, diplomacy, sanctions and attribution. - [European Centre for Democratic Resilience]() — status: not recorded. The Centre will be the operational backbone of the European Democracy Shield, uniting national capabilities to detect, analyse and attribute foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). It will pool open-source intelligence, media forensics and platform signals, provide rapid alerts and incident-response templates, and coordinate joint attribution with partners. The Centre will convene Member States and neighbouring countries, standardise methodologies, and channel support to independent media and media-literacy initiatives. By closing gaps between monitoring, policy action and sanctions, it will strengthen deterrence, help protect elections and debate, and build a European capacity against hybrid threats. - [European Democracy Shield]() — status: delivered. It will harden democratic resilience by combining early detection of foreign information manipulation, coordinated analysis and rapid response across the Union. A new European Centre for Democratic Resilience will pool national expertise and capacities as the hub for monitoring, attribution and joint action with partners. The Shield will leverage the EU’s FIMI toolbox and the Digital Services Act, expand media- and digital-literacy efforts, and strengthen crisis communication to counter disinformation systematically. It complements a forthcoming Media Resilience Programme supporting independent journalism, and is anchored in upgrades to EU internal-security governance. Work will also address harmful social-media design and youth well-being through expert advice on safeguards and enforcement. - [European Preparedness Union Strategy]() — status: delivered. The Preparedness Union Strategy would improve EU anticipation, coordination and response across crises through an EU risk and threat assessment, crisis dashboard and an upgraded Emergency Response Coordination Centre. It also proposes stockpiling, minimum preparedness requirements, revised civil-protection arrangements, early-warning guidance and preparedness training. The strategy includes measures for public-private continuity planning, population self-sufficiency during extreme disruptions, EU-wide exercises, civil-military coordination and cooperation with partner countries. - [European Space Shield]() — status: forthcoming. The European Space Shield is a proposed flagship within the Readiness Roadmap for defence readiness. It would establish and protect a European system of space capabilities for defence purposes, building on EU space systems and national capacities. The roadmap envisages endorsement of the shield as a priority flagship, coordinated prioritisation through space and defence programmes, coordination with Member States' procurement plans, and the shield's launch. - [Europol & Eurojust Revision]() — status: in progress. Europol & Eurojust Revision seeks to modernise Eurojust's legal framework and strengthen cross-border criminal-justice cooperation. The proposal addresses structural and operational constraints identified by the 2025 evaluation, improving governance and operational performance, cooperation with EU partners and third countries, and analytical and proactive capacity. It would expand Eurojust's mandate to cybercrime, gender-based violence and violations of EU restrictive measures, while reinforcing coordination with Europol and supporting work on serious and organised cross-border crime. - [Frontex Revision & EU Visa Support Office]() — status: forthcoming. Frontex is slated for a stronger mandate and reinforced standing corps, allowing the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to expand its presence and operational support. The Commission also assigns Frontex a stronger role in supporting Member States with returns and places a visa strategy among measures aimed at attracting international talent and reducing administrative barriers. - [Harmonised EU Framework for Data Retention]() — status: forthcoming. The Commission is preparing an impact assessment on data retention by service providers for criminal proceedings. The work responds to divergent national rules and the absence of an EU-wide framework, which authorities identify as an obstacle to investigations and cross-border cooperation. Consultations will examine the obstacles, possible non-regulatory and regulatory responses, and impacts on citizens' security, electronic-communications services and the protection of fundamental rights. - [International Digital Strategy]() — status: delivered. International Digital Strategy would extend EU digital cooperation through partnerships, dialogues, trade agreements and infrastructure with trusted partners. The programme covers secure connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure, AI, software, submarine cables, satellite connectivity, quantum research, semiconductors, high-performance computing, cybersecurity and digital identity. Measures include the Digital Partnership Network, additional bilateral and regional partnerships, EU Tech Business Offer, support for Arctic, MEDUSA and Blue-Raman cables, and integration work on the EU Digital Identity Wallet with Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans. - [New Strategic EU-India Agenda]() — status: delivered. Europe have tabled a Strategic EU–India Agenda that elevates the partnership across five pillars: prosperity, technology, security, connectivity and enablers. It prioritises concluding an FTA and an Investment Protection Agreement, alongside Global Gateway investments and supply-chain de-risking via the EU–India TTC (chips, solar, APIs). It deepens digital cooperation (e.g. trusted data flows, secure 5G/6G and interoperable digital public infrastructures) and expands joint R&I in AI, HPC/quantum and space. A Security and Defence Partnership with a Security of Information Agreement will underpin maritime, cyber and hybrid resilience. Delivery will be steered by an annual summit, upgraded TTC, and an EU–India Business Forum. - [ProtectEU: A European Internal Security Strategy]() — status: delivered. ProtectEU sets out EU internal-security action based on regular threat assessments and stronger operational capacity. It covers terrorism, organised crime, cyber-related and hybrid threats, with proposed changes involving Europol, Eurojust and Frontex. The strategy also calls for a European Critical Communication System, better protection of critical infrastructure and transport hubs, stronger cybersecurity, updated organised-crime and firearms rules, and closer operational cooperation with partner regions. - [Roadmap on Lawful and Effective Access to Data]() — status: delivered. The Roadmap for lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement sets out the conditions that should govern access to digital evidence. It says access must be necessary, proportionate, founded on clear, precise and accessible legal rules, subject to independent oversight and accompanied by effective remedies. The roadmap identifies deleted data, jurisdictional conflicts, difficult device forensics, encryption and limited analytical capacity as obstacles to obtaining criminal evidence. - [Team Europe]() — status: delivered. Aligns the EU, Member States, the EIB/EBRD, agencies and the private sector to act as one, pooling finance, expertise and diplomacy for maximum impact. Born during COVID-19, it is now the default delivery model for international partnerships and Global Gateway. It coordinates over 160 Team Europe Initiatives and mobilised €179 billion in 2021–2023, underpinned by instruments such as the €40 billion EFSD+ guarantee and regular Global Gateway business fora, with governance via a Board, Business Advisory Group, and a Civil Society & Local Authorities platform. By joining up investments, reforms and standards, Team Europe scales high-standard projects worldwide and strengthens EU strategic influence. - [The Pact for the Mediterranean]() — status: delivered. The EU will forge a new pact with Southern Neighbourhood partners, building on the 2021 Agenda, with a strong digital pillar to deepen political engagement and cooperation. Priorities include secure connectivity under Global Gateway (most visibly the MEDUSA submarine cable linking the northern and southern shores and boosting regional capacity) alongside resilient cable and satellite links. Cooperation will use Trade & Technology-style dialogues, Cyber Dialogues, and association to Horizon Europe and Digital Europe, embedded in tailor-made Comprehensive and Strategic Partnerships (e.g. Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan). Work will advance trusted 5G/cable security, skills and innovation, and gradual policy harmonisation supporting integration with EU digital rules where relevant. - [White Paper for European Defence]() — status: delivered. The White Paper invites Member States to increase collaborative defence procurement and proposes fast consideration of SAFE and the European Defence Industry Programme. It calls for military support to Ukraine and greater integration of Ukraine's defence industry, mobility corridors and access to EU space-based governmental services. Further measures include a defence-industry dialogue, a Defence Omnibus Simplification proposal, an armament technology roadmap and military-mobility action. --- [Reading guide and interpretation notes]() · [Methodology]()