Strategic Autonomy And Economic Sovereignty in the European Union: Legal Instruments, Trade Governance And Market Implications

This thesis examines the European Union’s evolving approach to economic governance through the lens of strategic autonomy, with a particular focus on its legal instruments and their impact on trade efficiency, international relations, and commercial agency contracts. In response to a changing geopolitical and economic landscape, the EU has implemented a set of regulatory and industrial mechanisms, including the European Chips Act, the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, that seek to enhance internal resilience while redefining its position in global markets. The research explores how these instruments challenge traditional liberal market principles and reshape the EU’s normative identity as a rules-based actor. Methodologically, the study combines legal analysis, doctrinal comparison, and case-law interpretation with a critical review of policy communications and academic literature. It also incorporates a comparative approach, particularly between EU and U.S. legal frameworks on commercial agency, to illuminate how jurisdictional differences affect the balance of power in transnational contractual relationships. The findings suggest a clear transformation in the EU’s legal and economic paradigm: one that prioritizes economic security, conditional openness, and selective intervention. While these shifts aim to mitigate vulnerabilities and assert greater autonomy, they also introduce new frictions in trade governance, regulatory coherence, and international perceptions. The discussion highlights tensions between resilience and efficiency, autonomy and interdependence, and normative consistency and strategic flexibility. Ultimately, the thesis argues that the EU’s legal strategy reflects a broader recalibration of its global role: one that invites both academic scrutiny and policy innovation. Recommendations are provided for enhancing contractual fairness, institutional transparency, and multilateral engagement, while identifying areas for future research, particularly in the cross-section between legal design and economic sovereignty.