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Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD4

Thematic Dossier

European Union Security Governance:

from Integration to Strategic Autonomy

April 2026

EDITORIAL

TIAGO LUÍS CARVALHO

tiagoluiscarvalho13@gmail.com

is a Professor of International Relations and Common Security and Defence Policy at the

Portuguese Air Force Academy (Portugal). He holds a PhD in International Relations and a

postgraduate diploma in European Union (EU) Law. He is a researcher at the Orient Institute,

School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lisbon (Portugal). He is also a researcher at

the Portuguese Air Force Academy Research Centre, Military University Institute (Portugal). His

work focuses on the intersection of geopolitics and political economy, with particular emphasis on

the geoeconomic dimension of EU-China relations. His publications address themes ranging from

China’s internationalisation strategies to the EU’s struggle to balance liberalism with economic

security. Tiago published the only Portuguese-language book dedicated to the concept of

economic security: Portuguese Economic Security: The Case of Chinese Investment in the Power

Sector (2024, translated title). ORCID: 0000-0003-3486-9794

PEDRO COSTA

pedmigalhas00@gmail.com

is a Professor at the Portuguese Air Force Academy and at ISCTE–IUL, University Institute of

Lisbon, Portugal. He holds a PhD in Information Science and Technology and a postgraduate

diploma in Applied Informatics in Organizations. He is also a researcher at the Portuguese Air

Force Academy Research Centre, Military University Institute (Portugal). His academic and

professional work focuses on information science technologies, with several publications. ORCID:

0000-0001-5105-3143

How to cite this editorial

Carvalho, Tiago Luís & Costa, Pedro (2026). Editorial - European Union Security Governance: from

Integration to Strategic Autonomy. Janus.net, e-journal of international relations. Thematic Dossier

- European Union Security Governance: from Integration to Strategic Autonomy, VOL. 16, Nº. 2,

TD4, April 2026, pp. 2-5. https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.DT03226.ED

JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD4

Thematic Dossier - European Union Security Governance:

from Integration to Strategic Autonomy

April 2026, pp. 3-5

Editorial. European Union Security Governance:

from Integration to Strategic Autonomy

Tiago Luís Carvalho, Pedro Costa

EUROPEAN UNION SECURITY GOVERNANCE:

FROM INTEGRATION TO STRATEGIC AUTONOMY

TIAGO LUÍS CARVALHO

PEDRO COSTA

All traditional concepts are being rendered obsolete by a rapidly changing reality, one

that is sufficiently complex to preclude any confident discernment of emerging trends

(Moreira, 2014). The European Union (EU) is an intricate project: each step forward has

depended on a delicate equilibrium. Its success has often been portrayed as a “miracle”

(Jones, 2003)—one underpinned by an international security architecture that now hangs

in the balance. As confidence in the American security umbrella wavers, EU leaders are

pressing for more tangible and autonomous capabilities, particularly in the security

domain. “This must be Europe’s Independence Moment,” declared von der Leyen in 2025.

Achieving greater resilience will require European countries to set aside differences and

take bold steps towards a unified front, as shown possible by the collective support for

Ukraine’s defence.

Against the background of the EU’s Strategic Compass, governance stand as a major and

current concept. Nevertheless, it is often too broad to yield meaningful insight. The EU

unique complexity exacerbates this problem. One solution to tackle the referred challenge

is to adopt a sectoral approach (Champagne, 2026), which this dossier does.

The dossier explores central challenges to the European security framework, spanning

economic sovereignty through foreign direct investment (FDI) screening; digital threats

in data governance; external border management amid migration pressures; the

securitisation of critical minerals in Ukraine; and power projection in Mali. The

contributions analyse the relevant EU legal framework, identify specific policy gaps,

highlight tensions between national and EU levels, and assess the influence of extra-EU

actors, concluding with a critical reflection on the EU’s nascent—yet still tentative—grand

strategy.

This thematic dossier is a collaborative project with the Portuguese Air Force,

encompassing academic outputs of master’s research conducted at the Portuguese Air

The views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of the institutions

mentioned.

JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD4

Thematic Dossier - European Union Security Governance:

from Integration to Strategic Autonomy

April 2026, pp. 3-5

Editorial. European Union Security Governance:

from Integration to Strategic Autonomy

Tiago Luís Carvalho, Pedro Costa

Force Academy (Articles 2, 3 and 6). The critical review is authored by a master student

at the Academy. Two articles are written by the editors—who are professors at the

Portuguese Air Force Academy (Articles 1 and 4). The fifth article was prepared for a

guest lecture at the Air Force Academy.

The themes brought together in this dossier largely match the security priorities

highlighted at the latest Munich Security Conference—for example, in Rubio (2026). They

include industrial capability protection (Article 1), digital innovation (Article 2), borders

and migration (Articles 3 and 4), energy policy and supply chains (Article 5), and external

security provision through military engagement (Article 6).

This project also captures key tensions in the EU security policymaking. In particular, the

first article examines the dynamic balance between national and common interests—

sovereignty versus union—that has marked the entire history of European integration.

Focusing on FDI screening in the Portuguese case, it compares Portugal’s national-

security and FDI framework with the EU’s current and prospective rules on FDI screening,

assessing the sovereignty implications of the Commission’s drive to strengthen European

economic security.

The dossier does not overlook the new challenges brought by emerging technologies. The

second article provides an extensive account of contemporary data governance within

the digital security framework. It discusses EU data-management legislation, its

significance and implications, and the effects of data mismanagement in a global

intertwined environment shaped by intensifying disputes.

The migration and refugee crises, given their longstanding nature, receive double

attention in this dossier (two articles). The third article offers a thorough analysis on the

evolution of EU migration policy over the last decade, including its legal and institutional

framework and external border management, namely the role of relevant agencies such

as Frontex. It concludes by mapping the main challenges and opportunities, and by

reflecting on how border management can be more effectively aligned with the coherent

pursuit of humanitarian, security, and development objectives.

The fourth article situates large-scale migration through the lens of internal security

framework. It develops its argument at three levels of analysis: (1) the EU and Member

States policies; (2) the potential strengths and vulnerabilities associated with non-

European citizens currently residing in Europe; and (3) the effects of rulings and treaties

between Europe and non-EU states in addressing this issue. The article argues that,

because migration constitutes a structural element for European development, its

management requires comprehensive policy measures to mitigate associated

vulnerabilities.

The most pressing issue in European security since 2022 is also included: Russia’s

invasion of Ukraine. The fifth article uses the Ukraine case study, however, in a novel

approach, to critically examine the EU securitisation of Ukraine’s critical raw materials.

This study analyses two modes of securitisation: discursive construction and bureaucratic

practice. It concludes that while EU external action in this regard may accelerate

European decarbonisation and reduce dependence on extra-European suppliers, it also

JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations

e-ISSN: 1647-7251

VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD4

Thematic Dossier - European Union Security Governance:

from Integration to Strategic Autonomy

April 2026, pp. 3-5

Editorial. European Union Security Governance:

from Integration to Strategic Autonomy

Tiago Luís Carvalho, Pedro Costa

risks reinforcing centre–periphery dynamics and prioritising the EU’s energy security over

Ukraine’s own concerns.

Following the outward perspective, the sixth article provides a comprehensive analysis

of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy engagement in Mali. It links EU action

to the political, military, economic, social, information, and infrastructure (PMESII)

dimensions of Mali’s crisis. This article concludes on both the limitations—related to

political cohesion, local ownership, and structural instability—and the EU’s potential—

notably in comprehensive crisis management and multilateral coordination—as a global

security actor.

Lastly, the critical review engages with European strategy in the 21st Century, concluding

this dossier with a broad and policy-oriented reflection. The examined book successfully

reintroduces strategic thinking into EU policy discussions by translating the drive for

autonomy into concrete, assessable options. A central contribution is its diagnosis of the

persistent gap between proclamation and implementation, making the book less of a

blueprint and more of a tool for informing public debate on the effective formulation of a

grand strategy—an effort that closely mirrors this dossier’s contribution to European

security governance.

References

Champagne, E. (2026). Governance. In IPSA Companion to Political Science (pp. 1–5).

Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06918-4_11-1

Moreira, A. (2014). Pefácio. In N. C. Mendes, & F. P. Coutinho, Enciclopédia Das Relações

Internacionais (p. 7). Alfragide: Dom Quixote.

Jones, E. (2003). The European Miracle: Environments, Economies and Geopolitics in the

History of Europe and Asia. Cambridge University Press.

Rubio, M. (2026). Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference.

U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-

spokesperson/2026/02/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-at-the-munich-security-

conference

Von der Leyen, U. (2025). 2025 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen.

European Commission.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_25_2053