Underrättelsebehov för strategisk autonomi

Ett europeiskt perspektiv

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has for a long time had ambitions to achieve some form of ‘Strategic Autonomy’, often understood as a capability to conduct security policy independent of the United States. With the EU’s Global Strategy (EUGS) from 2016, this objective, albeit without a clear definition, is part of the public EU strategy. This new level of ambition places high demands on the independent intelligence capacities for the member states as well as for the EU at the collective level. As the world moves towards multipolarity and the geopolitization of the economic sphere, the ambition for strategic autonomy has a broader meaning, such as the ability to conduct an independent trade policy or to choose a supplier of 5G infrastructure. In light of this, this article aims to analyse strategic autonomy as a security policy objective and the various intelligence needs it raises. We analyse autonomy in three different functions, or areas of application: political autonomy, operational autonomy and industrial and digital autonomy. We will then make an overview of how these needs currently are meet and how additional intelligence capacity could be created.