To continue benefiting from open and rules-based international trade, the EU must adopt a new trade policy accounting for the impact and correlation between geopolitics and geoeconomics. Slovakia’s Maroš Šefčovič, the newly appointed Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and for Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, will spearhead the development of this trade policy while overseeing customs policy and ensuring the cooperation of EU institutions. Šefčovič is well-acquainted with Commission politics, having served as Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture, and Youth (2009-2010), Vice-President for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration (2010-2014), Energy Union and EU Space Policy (2014-2019), Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight (2019-2023), and the Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight (2023-Present). Having served in the Commission for over 15 years, Šefčovič has earned a reputation for being an effective and discrete operator.
Trade
Šefčovič’s work designing and implementing a new EU trade policy will focus on increasing competitiveness, security, and sustainability. Šefčovič will bolster the EU’s leadership role and improve rules-based trade by engaging with the WTO and leading Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships while ensuring the full enforcement of the EU’s trade rules, notably regarding climate, environmental, and labour standards. Beyond Europe, Šefčovič will manage and deepen EU trade partnerships worldwide. Šefčovič will lead on relations with Switzerland, the United States, the UK, and other Western partners enhancing bilateral trade and investment agreements while increasing cooperation on issues of mutual interest. Šefčovič will manage trade relations with China, continuing the EU’s policy of “de-risking, not decoupling.” Šefčovič will engage China to establish economically balanced ties while addressing trade rule violations such as market distortions and harmful overcapacities. Šefčovič will develop a Strategic EU-India agenda while strengthening the EU’s economic link with the Indo-Pacific region, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Customs
Working to create an effective and secure customs system that establishes a level playing field, Šefčovič will reinforce and implement the decisions of the negotiations on the Customs Reform Package by setting up a new EU Customs Authority. Šefčovič will work closely with Member States on finalising the digitalisation of the customs environment while ensuring the EU leads in the development and implementation of the World Customs Organization’s Green Customs Plan and a reform of the Harmonised System. Šefčovič will help tackle challenges facing e-commerce platforms while evaluating the rules of origin and autonomous tariff suspensions and quotas strengthening measures to prevent non-EU-compliant products from entering the EU market.
Economic Security
Europe’s economic positioning, driven by its ability to secure technological leadership, maintain shock-resilient production capabilities, and withstand economic coercion, requires a security-oriented approach as the foundation of future economic policy. In this light, Šefčovič will develop a new economic security doctrine outlining the strategic use of the EU’s economic security tools while leading the implementation of the European Economic Security Strategy. As part of the economic security doctrine, developing economic security standards and deepening the ongoing dialogues on economic security within key supply chain partnerships, notably the G7, is central to protecting the EU market from technology leakages and security concerns. Šefčovič will also work on the design and implementation of trade sanctions.
Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency
Lastly, Šefčovič will handle some administrative duties while working to bolster relations and transparency between the three primary EU institutions: the Commission, The Council of the European Union, and the European Parliament. Šefčovič will lead the Commission’s revision of the Framework agreement strengthening the Commission’s dialogue with the Parliament. To enhance the Commission’s relationship with the Council, Šefčovič will represent the Commission in the General Affairs Council. As a Member of the Interinstitutional Ethics Body, Šefčovič will work with all the institutions to develop a set of common minimum standards for ethical conduct while coordinating the review of the Interinstitutional Agreement on the Transparency Register by July 2025. Šefčovič will lead the Commission’s relations with national Parliaments, advisory bodies and the European Ombudsman.
Conclusion
Šefčovič will report directly to Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the Commission, on matters related to interinstitutional relations and transparency. For his work in Trade and Economy Security, Šefčovič will work under the inexperienced guidance of Stéphane Séjourné, the Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
Šefčovič will have the task of transforming the EU’s open market into a semi-open economic stronghold, ensuring that the EU stands against its geopolitical rivals while protecting its new technology and research. Concurrently, Šefčovič will be forced to navigate international trade tensions with the United States, with the potential return of Donald Trump to the Presidency, and China, as they continue to ignore EU trade rules. Šefčovič will require all his experience to ensure a balance between focusing on protecting the EU’s core technologies and promoting its export champions and partnerships with third countries.
