Region Spotlight

The only union of its kind

The European Union

Growing from its start as the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Union today has twenty-seven member states and is the only democratic, intergovernmental, supranational organization in the world. It has risen as a key actor and norm-setter in areas as diverse as trade, energy security, digital policy, and defense. In an era of great power competition, the United States has a national interest in the EU reinvigorating faith in the European project among Europeans and the rest of the world.

NATO Renewal Requires European Courage on Afghanistan

Report
Mar 3, 2025

The art of the transatlantic deal

The transatlantic relationship is shifting with US president Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Nevertheless, discreet deals across the US-EU trade, energy, and defense sectors are possible.

Read More

NATO Renewal Requires European Courage on Afghanistan

New Atlanticist
Apr 8, 2025

Europeans are responding to Trump by rallying around the EU flag

By
Anna Wieslander and Louise Blomqvist

The Trump administration’s stances toward Europe have led to increased support for the European Union among the bloc’s citizens.

Defense Industry
Defense Policy

NATO Renewal Requires European Courage on Afghanistan

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

Featured events

Public Event
Thu, April 3, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

Europe’s Teresa Ribera on the EU’s clean transition and US-EU relations

AN #ACFRONTPAGE EVENT—Teresa Ribera, executive vice-president of the European Commission, shares her vision for the EU, the bloc’s competitiveness, and the US-EU relationship.

Digital Policy
Economy & Business
Energy & Environment
Europe & Eurasia


Online Event
Thu, March 20, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

The future of EU defense

Following the release of the European Union’s whitepaper on the future of European defense, an expert panel unpacks what role the EU should play in transatlantic security.

Europe & Eurasia
European Union
NATO
Security & Defense


Online Event
Thu, February 27, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

How should Europe step up for Ukraine?

With developments unfolding quickly, the Atlantic Council hosts an expert panel discussion on what Europe can and should do in order to support Ukraine.

Europe & Eurasia
European Union
Politics & Diplomacy
Security & Defense


The Transatlantic Digital Marketplace Initiative

The Europe Center’s Transatlantic Digital Marketplace Initiative seeks to foster greater understanding on digital policy between the United States and Europe and build tangible cooperation in this critical area of the transatlantic relationship.

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New Atlanticist

The US-EU Trade and Technology Council has been a success. Now build on that success.

by L. Daniel Mullaney

A trade agreement foundation would go a long way toward ensuring US-EU engagement across different administrations and commissions.

In-depth Research & reports

NATO Renewal Requires European Courage on Afghanistan

Report
Oct 7, 2024

Transatlantic horizons: A collaborative US-EU policy agenda for 2025 and beyond

By
Atlantic Council experts

With new leadership on both sides of the Atlantic, this report outlines an agenda for common action for the next US administration and European Commission.

Digital Policy
Economy & Business

NATO Renewal Requires European Courage on Afghanistan

Issue Brief
May 29, 2024

Who’s a national security risk? The changing transatlantic geopolitics of data transfers

By
Kenneth Propp

The geopolitics of data transfers is changing. How will Washington’s new focus on data transfers affect Europe and the transatlantic relationship?

Cybersecurity
Digital Policy

NATO Renewal Requires European Courage on Afghanistan

Issue Brief
Oct 18, 2023

Designing a US-EU industrial and trade policy 

By
Erik Brattberg, Frances Burwell, Jörn Fleck, Charles Lichfield, Zach Meyers, James Batchik, and Emma Nix

Both sides of the Atlantic are confronting the geopolitical necessity of adapting trade and industrial policies to be fit for purpose in an increasingly competitive world. To avoid competition between Washington and Brussels, policymakers must recognize each side’s priorities and commit to further cooperation to bridge the transatlantic economic relationship, not widen it.

Economy & Business
Energy & Environment

Program

The Europe Center promotes the transatlantic leadership and strategies required to ensure a strong Europe.

EXPLORE THE PROGRAM

Content

NATOSource

Mar 11, 2010

NATO Renewal Requires European Courage on Afghanistan

By the Christian Science Monitor

From the Christian Science Monitor:  NATO reform can’t come fast enough. European leaders must step up and persuade the public of the importance of the Afghan mission and the threat of Al Qaeda… European leaders are not given the tools to lead public opinion. This is because the entire counter-terrorism mission is treated almost exclusively as […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Mar 10, 2010

EU Considering Independent Military Operations Center

By the European Voice

From the European Voice:  The European Union must forge a “stronger, more assertive” and “ambitious” foreign policy agenda to match the rising power of China and India, Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said today in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Ashton, in her first address to the Parliament, set out […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Mar 9, 2010

Transatlantic Relations in Obama’s “Post-Western World”

By the New York Times

From the New York Times: The Obama presidency has been a shock to Europe. At heart, Obama is not a Westerner, not an Atlanticist. He grew up partly in Indonesia and partly in Hawaii, which is about as far from the East Coast as you can get in the United States. “He’s very much a […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Mar 8, 2010

NATO Warns of Surge in Cyber Attacks from China

By the Times (London)

From the Times (London): Urgent warnings have been circulated throughout Nato and the European Union for secret intelligence material to be protected from a recent surge in cyberwar attacks originating in China… Nato diplomatic sources told The Times: “Everyone has been made aware that the Chinese have become very active with cyber-attacks and we’re now getting […]

Cybersecurity European Union

NATOSource

Mar 5, 2010

Energy Security in Europe: Central Questions

By the Economist

From the Economist:  At a summit in Budapest on February 24th Visegrad showed signs of renewed life. The big shift is in Poland, where go-it-alone policies have given way to enthusiasm for working with the neighbours. Under the voting rules of the Nice treaty, in force until 2014, Visegrad countries have as many votes in […]

Energy & Environment European Union

NATOSource

Mar 5, 2010

Time to Get Real on NATO

By Foreign Policy

From Foreign Policy:  This NATO review process is failing to account for three fundamental contradictions. First, NATO Secretary General Rassmussen stated that:  "We must face new challenges. Terrorism, proliferation, cyber security or even climate change will oblige us to seek new ways of operating. And in a time of financial and budget constraints, we need […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Mar 4, 2010

Helsinki NATO Event Seeks to Improve Cooperation in Crisis Management

By NATO

From NATO:  On 4 March, Finland and Sweden are hosting the seminar “NATO’s New Strategic Concept – Comprehensive Approach to Crisis Management” in Helsinki to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation between NATO and other international actors to improve crisis management. The conference is looking at the future challenges of crisis management and NATO’s role and […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Mar 3, 2010

Is Europe Shaping Policy by Playing Safe?

By the New York Times

From the New York Times:  The bloc has two million soldiers. Yet according to the European Defense Agency, the bloc can sustain only 110,000 soldiers in international missions. Over 70 percent of European land forces are unusable outside national territory because they have not modernized since the end of the Cold War. This failure to […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Mar 2, 2010

Partners in Decline

By  Foreign Policy

From Foreign Policy:  Perhaps the end of the Cold War was an opportune time to kill off NATO, but the Balkan crises of the 1990s and post-9/11 security challenges proved that the alliance was still needed. The same is true today. The alternative — to replace NATO with an ad hoc ABCD alliance (America, Britain, Canada, […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Feb 28, 2010

Latvia and Lithuania Propose Stricter EU Rules to Stop Mistral Sale

By  Itar-Tass

From Itar-Tass: Latvia and Lithuania demand stricter arms trade rules in the European Union and NATO in order to prevent the selling of Mistral helicopter ships to Russia. They made a statement to that effect at the Thursday meeting of EU defense ministers in Palma de Majorca. “The European Union and NATO should sell armaments and […]

European Union International Organizations
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Experts

Fellow

Helena Fee Rasch

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Lize de Kruijf

Project Assistant, Economic Statecraft Initiative

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Dutch Economic Sanctions

Fellow

Samuel Denney

Nonresident Fellow

Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Andrei Covatariu

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Global Energy Center

Eastern Europe Energy & Environment

Fellow

Justina Budginaite-Froehly

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Industry European Union

Staff

Melanie Hart

Senior Director, Global China Hub

Global China Hub

China Chinese
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Events

Flagship Event Tue, September 30, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

2025 Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics

The Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics is an annual conference convening economic and financial leaders from both sides of the Atlantic.
Digital Policy Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia European Union