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Political Accountability in European Security

Jack Gill

The combination of Europe’s dependence on Russian energy and growing Chinese influence in Europe, facilitated by its role in funding and purchasing strategic infrastructure as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a cause for great alarm for Europeans. The Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) represent the largest threats to Europe’s long-term economic security, but the role of Europeans in positions of authority in facilitating and supporting this increased trade dependence on these potentially hostile states is too little discussed. This paper considers some instances of the kind of influence these powers have over the EU in terms of trade and offers some recommendations for measures that could be taken at the EU level to improve the EU’s collective security and the national security of Member States.

PS: Recommendations 

  1. The EU should create a new security concept redefining European security and Member States’ national security as one, in order to ensure there are no weak points in EU security. This new concept should designate which countries’ and companies’ investments are “high-risk” as well as which industries and sectors are “strategic” or “non-strategic”. 
  2. The EU should introduce new laws that strongly restrict or forbid outright deals involving “high-risk” countries / businesses and “strategic” industries / sectors in order to protect European security. 
  3. The EU should establish an independent accountability body to monitor “high-risk” transactions, as well as the role of European public officials involved therein.