Export Controls and the Green Agenda in the European Union

This Article argues that critical and emerging technologies, and evolving geopolitical dynamics and the urgent need to pursue the green agenda are changing the traditional approach of the European Union (EU) and its Member States towards their trade and security strategies, particularly evident in the domain of export controls. In search of a balance between greenness, security and technological progress, this Article explores the potential for a more cohesive and comprehensive regulatory framework for export controls on the EU level. It takes the debate beyond a technical level of export control lists to discuss geopolitical and strategic assumptions surrounding interstate cooperation on the regulation of critical and emerging technologies and their components. Particularly, the Article aims to underscore the potential unintended repercussions of controls for the EU’s EU's technological future and the prospects of the green transition in Europe and beyond. Finally, it advocates for what is often overlooked in discussions: the necessity for the EU to delineate clear long-term objectives for its export controls and their alignment with the purpose and objectives of other economic instruments in the EU.