Europe Center Research & Reports

The Europe Center conducts research to guide the actions and strategy of key transatlantic decision makers on the issues that will shape the future of the transatlantic relationship.

Europe Center Research & Reports

Report Nov 10, 2025

Is Europe waking up to the China challenge? How geopolitics are reshaping EU and transatlantic strategy

By Zoltán Fehér, Valbona Zeneli

China’s rising global ambitions challenge both US and European interests. By examining the EU’s gradual shift toward “de-risking” and gaps in transatlantic policy, this report offers insights for developing a more coherent and coordinated strategy to address Beijing’s economic and security challenges.
China Europe & Eurasia
Europe Center Research & Reports

Report May 20, 2025

The European Union Growth Plan for the Western Balkans: A reality test for EU enlargement

By Valbona Zeneli, Richard Grieveson, Isabelle Ioannides, Dimitar Bechev

EU enlargement faces a test case in the Western Balkans. The current plan offers real benefits before accession, creating incentives for reform, but questions of enforceability and the relatively low amount of financial support threaten the success of the EU’s political influence in the region.
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
Europe Center Research & Reports

Issue Brief Mar 5, 2025

The EU must become a strategic player in defense—alongside NATO

By Justina Budginaite-Froehly

The European Union and NATO need renewed alignment on defense to meet the new geopolitical moment. Refocused cooperation would provide a critically needed burden sharing to eliminate vulnerabilities and prepare Europe to withstand new realities.
Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

All in-depth research & reports

Report

Aug 17, 2021

The UK, France, and the United States in Sweden’s vicinity: Strategic interests and military activities

By Anna Wieslander, Viktor Lundquist

As a response to the deteriorated security situation, following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and war in eastern Ukraine, the UK, France, and the United States have substantially increased their presence and engagement in Sweden’s vicinity.

Europe & Eurasia European Union

Issue Brief

Aug 16, 2021

EU-US Future Forum 2021: A path forward for transatlantic relations

By Benjamin Haddad, Jörn Fleck, Livia Godaert, Michaela Nakayama Shapiro

From May 5 to 7, the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and the EU Delegation to the United States partnered to organize the first EU-US Future Forum (EUFF), a three-day open conference bringing together policy makers, experts, and the private sector to address the key challenges facing the transatlantic relationship in the coming decades.

Economy & Business Energy & Environment
Informaition Defense

In-Depth Research & Reports

Jul 22, 2021

Information defense: Policy measures taken against foreign information manipulation

By Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer

A joint report from the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab and Europe Center on the policy measures government and private sector can take against foreign information manipulation.

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

Issue Brief

Jul 16, 2021

Poland and the United States: What’s right, what’s not, and what’s next

By Daniel Fried, Jakub Wiśniewski

Around the time of President Joe Biden’s first trip to Europe in June 2021, US-Polish relations experienced a short, but intense, rough patch. Both the United States and Poland need to look hard at what this relationship can do for both countries and for the transatlantic relationship, and at the sources of problems.

Europe & Eurasia Poland
data, EU, travel

Issue Brief

Jul 1, 2021

Avoiding the next transatlantic security crisis: The looming clash over passenger name record data

By Kenneth Propp

The transfer of PNR—personal data of air travelers including names, addresses, telephone numbers, credit card information, even meal preferences and details that can indicate ethnicity, religious belief, or political affiliation—on international flights has become a common practice world-wide since the September 11th attacks.

Digital Policy European Union

Issue Brief

May 19, 2021

Proposal for a US-EU Digital Council: Building a comprehensive conversation

By Frances Burwell

As the new Biden administration confronts its foreign policy priorities, it should not avoid the looming digital debate with its European allies. With the European Union serving as the leader in digital regulation, policy on the digital space is by no means aligned between US and European policymakers. From digital taxation to data storage and privacy rights, issues that will define the success or failure of transatlantic digital policy—with hundreds of billions of dollars on the line—remain unsettled.

Digital Policy Economy & Business
resilience, society

Report

May 3, 2021

A transatlantic agenda for homeland security and resilience beyond COVID-19

By Anna Wieslander

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disclosed the importance of resilient power – a society’s capability to absorb unexpected major shocks, handle and adapt to these, and then, most importantly, bounce back. As the pandemic still rages, endurance has become a major challenge for individuals, institutions, companies, and societies. It emphasizes another dimension of resilience: it is not only about how fast society is able to bounce back and recover at a certain moment, but also how it can withstand repeated shocks over time.

Climate Change & Climate Action Coronavirus

In-Depth Research & Reports

Feb 12, 2021

Toward a future EU-UK relationship in foreign policy and defense

By Gen. Stéphane Abrial, Sir Peter Westmacott, Olivier-Rémy Bel

The UK and the EU will continue to share the same geography, the same strategic environment, and the same values, a reality recognized on both sides of the Channel. As the UK moves on from the Brexit process, it should find in the EU a partner sharing the same values and aspirations.

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Issue Brief

Jan 22, 2021

The United States, Germany, and world order: New priorities for a changing alliance

By Roderick Kefferpütz, Jeremy Stern

Treating each divergence in security policy as an isolated incident may have allowed policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic to ignore the unpleasant fact that the United States and Germany could have increasingly disparate perceptions of threats and strategic cultures.

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia

In-Depth Research & Reports

Jan 13, 2021

Relaunching the transatlantic trade agenda: A European perspective

By Emilie Bel

By analyzing the lessons learned from the failure of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations and drawing on interviews with European officials, this paper recommends adopting a step-by-step approach that pays greater attention from the start to the concerns of public opinion—notably, on climate change—the diversity of European sensitivities, and the need to rebuild trust progressively.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
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