08 / 09 / 2021
EC published 2021 Strategic Foresight Report and JRC Foresight Report on the Future of the EU’s Open Strategic Autonomy
On 8 September 2021, the European Commission (EC) published its second annual Strategic Foresight Report on “The EU’s capacity and freedom to act”, aiming at providing a forward-looking and multidisciplinary perspective on important trends affecting the EU’s capacity and freedom to act in the coming decades, including among others climate change and technological transformations. This report also addresses important issues that will shape the future of Europe and the world, and sheds light on possible policy responses for the EU’s open strategic autonomy. The 2021 Strategic Foresight Report has also identified 10 strategic areas where the EU can strengthen its capacity and freedom to act. This Communication lies on the Joint Research Centre (JRC)’s ‘science for ‘Shaping & securing the EU’s Open Strategic Autonomy by 2040 and beyond’, which:- presents an overview of Europe’s existing capacities, dependencies and vulnerabilities;
- describes trends and emerging issues, looking forward at how they could evolve over time, and looking at the opportunities and risks they entail;
- highlights ways the EU can start to seize the benefits from positive developments and ways to transform risks into potential for positive transformation;
- presents foresight scenarios on the global standing of the EU in 2040, in relation to Open Strategic Autonomy.
