News Archive

Geopolitical tensions and trade conflicts constitute an ever-growing threat to Europe’s ability to defend itself. Procuring or developing critical technologies independently or with reliable partners is crucial. EconPol Europe and the ifo institute hosted a roundtable at the Munich Security Conference to discuss ways to achieve greater technological sovereignty.

In our first newsletter of 2025 we explore the impact of global dependencies - from critical supply chains and European climate policies to Mexico’s labor market. Additionally, we share impressions from our roundtable at the Munich Conference and details on our upcoming Annual EconPol Conference in Brussels, which will center on climate adaptation.

Semiconductors have become the epicenter of international trade disputes and geopolitical rivalries. Using trade data, this Policy Report shows that while Taiwan, China, and South Korea have led final chip exports since the early 2010s, export leadership varies across 75 different chip types. Moreover, trade in semiconductor-related goods, i.e.

The unfair distribution of responsibility for asylum seekers among EU member states under the “Dublin system” has long been a bone of contention in the Common European Asylum System. In April 2024, the EU Parliament approved the controversial migration and asylum package after lengthy negotiations. In particular, the rules for illegal immigrants were significantly tightened. The authors of this issue of EconPol Forum examine why the results of the EU's migration policy to date have been unsatisfactory and why Europe now needs a new, better coordinated policy.

Over the last decades, globalization has led to more integrated markets which fostered the transformation of economies around the world. How do domestic labor markets react to increased competition from abroad? A new Policy Brief examines the effect of an import shock on the Mexican labor market focusing particularly on gender differences.