Think Tank

In June 2025, EU Member States that are members of NATO committed to a significant increase in spending on defence to 5% of GDP to be reached withing a decade. 3.5% of GDP would be spent on core defence items, 1.5% on defence-related items. Obviously, such commitments come on top of already tight public finances in most of the economies concerned. Against this background, in autumn 2025, the ECON Committee requested external expertise to better understand the potential synergies and tensions between ...

This study explores the competitiveness gap faced by the EU’s seafood sector. Five case studies illustrate how high input costs and relatively low productivity mean that imports, now supply over 80% of the EU’s consumption of fisheries and aquaculture products (FAPs). The policy recommendations provided aim to help secure a more self-sufficient, sustainable, and resilient seafood system. This document was prepared at the request of the Committee on Fisheries (PECH).