Research on this theme addresses the systemic risks faced by European societies and affecting the quality of life of European citizens. It primarily concerns the urgent necessity for Europe to mitigate the severity and prepare for the consequences of climate change while reducing its dependence on foreign energy supplies, especially those that involve fossil fuels, are unreliable in geopolitical terms or impact the environment elsewhere in the world.
The EU’s Green Deal and Energy Union are still to be given a concrete policy dimension in the member states, but the green transition is far from uncontroversial and will be the subject of further politicization in Europe. The question is how Europe and the EU can achieve greater strategic autonomy on energy, climate and environmental protection whilst respecting national and European legal limits, democratic processes and keeping the citizens on board? The Covid-19 pandemic has also reminded us of the cross-border nature of today’s health risks and diseases, and the necessity for greater cooperation among governments. This does not only apply to infectious diseases, but also to chronic non-communicable ones, such as cancer, which directly result from the globalisation of trade in unhealthy commodities and the uniformization of lifestyle practices. What should be the role of the European institutions in this regard, and what are the prospects for a European Health Union?
