Think Tank

This study addresses the spread of live-content piracy in the EU, focusing on unauthorised sports and broadcast streaming via illegal IPTV services and apps. The analysis is focused on the EU legal framework, Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/1018, national enforcement practices, and technological tools. The study identifies key legal and policy gaps. In conclusion, a set of recommendations is presented, in order to strengthen, harmonise, and accelerate anti-piracy enforcement across the Union. ...

This paper analyses how Russia’s hybrid interference targets European Union (EU) enlargement countries and how the EU responds, particularly with regard to its enlargement policy. It develops a precise, strategy‑centred concept of ‘hybrid interference’ that distinguishes coordinated, multi‑instrument campaigns against domestic democratic orders from broader notions of hybrid warfare, influence or leverage. On this basis, it maps recurring vulnerabilities across nine enlargement countries – Albania ...

In June 2025, the European Commission published its proposal for the Global Europe Instrument – the principal financial instrument for external actions under the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework. The proposal foresees possibilities to restrict access to procurement under the instrument, provide direct support to European private companies and support to EU Member States' Export Credit Agencies. The workshop provided analysis of these issues from the perspective of development cooperation ...

Against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the rapid battlefield adaptation that it has led to, defence innovation and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being seen as key contributors to Europe’s industrial preparedness, production scalability and security of supply. To this end, recent European Union (EU) policy and financial initiatives have specifically targeted SMEs in the defence sector, to address the financial, regulatory and industrial bottlenecks facing SMEs in ...

This study was prepared at the request of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). It maps the fraudulent practices used by fake web shops across their full operational lifecycle, assesses the EU legal and enforcement framework against each stage, and identifies structural gaps in coverage, enforcement, and cross-border coordination. The study provides six high-level recommendations for legislative and operational action, as well as a list of targeted ...