EPIS Blog
A weekly series of opinionated briefs (500–1000 words) discussing current issues in foreign affairs and security policy.
Buying an ICSID Award, Buying the Right to Enforce? Blasket’s Victory Against Spain
Can an ICSID award buyer enforce it in its own name? The Eurus decision exposes divergent US and English interpretations of assignment, treaty language, and access to award enforcement mechanisms.
Scars Without Wounds: Cumulative Mental Harm and the Limits of IHL
One in five people who have lived through war carries a mental health condition, yet no targeting decision is ever asked to account for it. However, the law already requires parties to weigh cumulative mental harm. The rule is not missing, but right in front of our eyes.
Tuvalu and the Continuity of Statehood: The Sovereignty Debate
This brief blog article looks into whether territory is required for a state to be recognized. It looks into the case study of Tuvalu which is making moves towards maintaining its statehood; even after being submerged. The argument is that with natural factors such as climate change, there need t…
The New US Russia Sanctions Regime: Assessing Economic Coercion Under International Law
The 2026 US sanctions regime marks a further development in secondary sanctions, using economic pressure to influence the external choices of third States. This article examines where such measures may sit at the boundary between legitimate economic pressure and unlawful intervention in another S…
Protecting Children Beyond Content: Rethinking Responsibility for Digital Design
Digital environments offer children important opportunities for learning, creativity and social interaction, but their design may also exploit children’s vulnerabilities. This article considers how EU regulation can balance effective protection with children’s autonomy, parental responsibility an…
Buy Together, Build Together, Defend Alone? The Reality of EU Defence
Despite EU targets for joint defence procrument, only 18% of spennding is collaborative, and three-quarters goes outside the Union.
Unanimity Rule: A Tool for EU Equity or a Recipe for Policy Paralysis?
In light of recent events, the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia has shed light on cracks within EU foreign and security policy, posing decisional and strategic implementation challenges, each of which determines the EU’s long-term goals. One such challenge is the “EU unanimity rule.”
European Space Forum ’26: What role does Europe want to play in space?
The European Space Forum 2026 focused on Europe’s role in the global space sector. Key topics included funding, regulation, access to space and strategic autonomy.
Uzbekistan’s Purchase of Chinese J-10CE Jets and its Compatibility with Foreign Policy Ambitions
Uzbekistan’s purchase of Chinese fighter jets indicates diversification from historical military reliance on Russia and aligns with a regional push for new security guarantees and partnerships.
Sanctioning International Justice: The ICC and the Limits of State Power
The United States imposed a new round of sanctions on the ICC, more specifically on President Tomoko Akane and Senior Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. This article explores the legal basis of those sanctions, while posing important questions about its long-term effects on international law.
The Eastern Air Defence Corridor for a Safer Europe
Europe’s fragmented air defence arrangements leave its eastern flank vulnerable to Russian and Iranian aerial attacks. The Eastern Air Defence Corridor proposes integrating the air defence capabilities of six eastern and southeastern European states into a single regional architecture.
When AI Must Identify Itself: Transparency Under Article 50 of the EU AI Act
Article 50 of the EU AI Act introduces transparency obligations for certain providers and deployers of AI systems. From 2 August 2026, AI interaction, synthetic content, deepfakes, and certain AI-generated public-interest text may need to be disclosed.
NATO Summit in Ankara
The 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara marked a shift toward “NATO 3.0,” focusing on increased defence spending and burden-sharing. Key outcomes included U.S. plans to lift sanctions on Türkiye, 70 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine, new multinational defence deals, and heightened tensions over Greenland.
Countering Hybrid Threats in the Grey Zone
As hybrid threats increasingly challenge Europe’s security and democratic resilience, David Song-Pehamberger of Hybrid CoE explores the evolving threat landscape, the EU’s response, and how Europe can strengthen its resilience in an era of complex risks.
Beyond Compliance: Building 360-Degree Cyber Resilience for Society
Cyber threats are evolving and making resilience more important than ever. This article explores how EU regulations and directives strengthen preparedness, response and accountability through a 360-degree approach to cyber resilience.
Musk, Trump, and Weidel: How US Influence Is Reshaping Germany’s Far Right
The alliance of Musk, Trump, and the AfD shifts foreign influence from covert tactics to open platform amplification. This public model uses algorithmic promotion to bypass old regulations, creating a new framework for leveraging foreign influence in upcoming European elections.
‘Forced Fighters’: Russia’s Deceptive Recruitment Operations in Africa
Since launching a devastating war in Ukraine, Russia has suffered significant casualties, leading to the exploitative and inhumane policy of deceitfully recruiting African citizens into the Russian army. Stopping this exploitation, however, will require more than just condemning the Kremlin.
When Hospitals Become Frontlines: The Collapse of Healthcare in Sudan
Sudan’s collapsing health infrastructure is more than a humanitarian tragedy: it is a growing security risk. As hospitals, laboratories and supply chains are destroyed or seized, the country is losing the capacity to detect disease, protect civilians and contain crises before they cross borders.
One Crisis, Two Europes: Ceuta and the Politics of Solidarity
Ceuta exposes a tension at the heart of EU migration governance. The EU can formalise responsability-sharing, but its political meaning remains contested among Member States.
Europe’s Skynet: Inside the EU Parliament’s Divisive Chat Control Vote
The European Union is struggling to answer one of the information-era dilemmas: for the sake of security, what’s the line of negotiation for privacy exceptionality? The “Chat Control” package may set a precedent in blurring the line of EU citizens’ right of private communications.