EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument: A New Tool for Economic Defense

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This episode examines the European Union’s Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), a legal mechanism introduced in 2023 to defend the bloc’s strategic autonomy against external economic pressure. We explain how the process works—from the Council’s formal activation under “Article 5” to the possible use of coordinated trade countermeasures. The discussion highlights how the EU aims to deter modern geoeconomic tactics such as informal boycotts or regulatory pressure while prioritizing dialogue and gradual escalation before sanctions.