The communication reflects a paradigm shift from a reactive stance to a more proactive and systematic deployment of the EU toolkit.

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High Risk Areas

The EU’s work will focus on six priority areas considered to be at high risk:

• Strengthening supply chain resilience and combating high-risk dependencies in goods and services.
• Developing and maintaining leadership in critical technologies.
• Attraction of value-added inward investment that strengthens the economic security of the EU.
• Preventing access to sensitive information and data that could undermine the economic security of the EU.
• Support for a defense and space industrial base and other high-risk industrial sectors.
• Prevention and mitigation of disruptions in the EU’s critical infrastructure.

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Among the measures announced as part of the EU’s Economic Security Strategy, some are aimed directly at European companies.

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Resilience and Risk Mitigation Expectations

The strategy stresses that industry is at the “front line” of the EU’s economic security and must assume shared responsibilities.

• Companies are expected to become more resilient and diversify their critical supply chains, specifically eliminating total dependence on a single high-risk supplier.
• Companies must integrate the costs of increased diversification into their business models, recognizing the benefit that resilience brings in the face of geopolitical risks.
• Modalities will be explored to encourage companies in specific high-risk sectors to ensure that supplies come from at least two different suppliers () and limit exposure to a single dominant supplier. Dual Sourcing
• The Commission will launch regularcalls for evidence to obtain input from industry and stakeholders on supply chain vulnerabilities and exposure to external pressures.

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Financial Support and Incentives

The EU will use its funding tools to guide companies towards risk reduction and internal capacity building.

• Projects that support the economic security of the EU will be encouraged in its financing activities.
• The European Investment Bank (EIB) and other national financial institutions and promotional banks will be encouraged to prioritize support for EU companies that reduce over-reliance on high-risk foreign suppliers in critical sectors.
• Companies will be incentivized to reduce dependencies in areas of emerging technologies as part of the upcoming Chips Act 2.0, Quantum Act, Cloud and AI Development Act and the Commission Strategy on Open Source.
• The possibility of providing financial support to companies subject toFDI screening decisions in situations where their financial viability may be at risk without an investment will be explored.

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Regulatory Tools and Protection

Legal instruments will be used and reviewed to protect companies and ensure a level playing field.

• European preference criteria will be proposed in specific strategic sectors.
• Full use will be made of the Foreign Subsidies Regulations to maintain fair competition in areas where foreign subsidies may lead to distortions that pose economic security risks.

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Information and Monitoring Tools

• ATrade Resilience Information Portal will be established to provide EU companies with up-to-date information on export restrictions imposed by third countries and potential risks linked to the need to build resilience.
• A pilot project will be launched to monitor start-ups in critical technology areas vulnerable to hostile foreign takeovers, with the aim of redirecting them to EU investment alternatives or other forms of support.