Trade and global supply chains in 2030

The issues of the prospects for (de-)globalisation, the scope for cooperation to prevent unilateral trade measures, and the balance between resilience and efficiency in strengthening global supply chains were at the centre of the discussion of this expert roundtable. 

In partnership with the Renner Institute and the Olof Palme International Center, we have launched the Foresight project ‘The long-term implications of the war in Ukraine‘ to reflect on the mid-to-long-term consequences of the conflict at Europe’s doorsteps. This project consists of a series of high-level expert roundtables, each addressing the impact of the war in Ukraine on distinct aspects of the international agenda and the international order at large. Previous expert roundtables within the foresight series addressed the long-term implications of the war on the green transition and on global governance. 

To bring in the foresight perspective, the participants were invited to address what factors and actors would shape developments ahead, uncertainties and potential wild cards, as well as implications for the EU.

The discussion was divided into two sessions, where all participants had the opportunity to take part in an interactive debate.

• The first session was dedicated to assessing the long-term implications of the war for global trade governance and for the strategies of the main trade powers.
• The second session addressed the key variables affecting the future shape, vulnerabilities, and resilience of global supply chains.

The expert roundtable took place on Wednesday, 15 February, from 13:30 to 17:10 (welcome lunch from 12:30-13:30), at FEPS headquarters  located on Avenue des Arts 46, 5^th floor, 1000 Brussels. The Chatham House rule was applied. Some participants who were not based in Brussels had the possibility to participate remotely. The meeting started with a light lunch. 

Among the speakers:

• Giovanni Grevi, Special Advisor to the Foresight Project and Senior Fellow, CSDS, Brussels School of Governance
• André Sapir, Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles & Senior Fellow, Bruegel
• Elvire Fabry, Senior Research Fellow, Geopolitics of Trade and Rapporteur of the working group on EU-China relations, Institut Jacques Delors
• Werner Raza, Head of the Austrian Research Foundation for International Development (ÖFSE)
• Gyorgy Mudri, Former Agriculture Expert, European Parliament and the US Department of Agriculture Open exchange with all participants
• Maria João Rodrigues, FEPS President

Moderation by Giovanni Grevi and David Rinaldi, Director of Studies and Policy, FEPS & Lecturer at the ULB – Institute for European Studies.

This event is part of the Foresight series ‘The long-term implications of the war in Ukraine‘, which was launched in partnership with the Renner Institute and the Olof Palme International Center. Its objective is to reflect on the mid-to-long-term consequences of the conflict at Europe’s doorsteps. This project consists of a series of high-level expert roundtables, each addressing the impact of the war in Ukraine on distinct aspects of the international agenda and the international order at large.

🇧🇪 The first event ‘The geopolitics of energy and the Green Transition‘ took place at FEPS Headquarters, in Brussels.

🇧🇪 The second event ‘Prospects for global governance in an age of disruptions‘ took place at FEPS Headquarters, in Brussels.

🇧🇪 The third event ‘Trade and global supply chains in 2030‘ took place at FEPS Headquarters, in Brussels.