Does EU Free Trade Set Us Free?

The EU has signed an increasing number of trade agreements in recent years. Following trade conflicts with the USA under Trump, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Europe's dependence on Chinese raw materials and technology, trade policy has moved to the top of the agenda in Brussels. In 2026 alone, Ursula von der Leyen has signed major agreements with Mercosur countries, India, and Australia - promising more secure access to consumers, energy, critical raw materials, and more stable supply chains.

But what kind of world order is the EU trying to trade its way toward? Free trade is often presented as a technical necessity for growth and exports, but the agreements also touch on power, security, climate, working conditions, and democratic control. Supporters see them as a necessary tool to reduce the EU's vulnerability and forge new alliances. Critics argue they can reinforce global inequality and slow the green transition.

The debate takes its starting point in DEO's forthcoming book "Does EU Free Trade Set Us Free?" and raises questions such as: Are the new trade agreements a necessary response to a more uncertain world? Can free trade make Europe less dependent on superpowers like the USA, Russia, and China? Do the agreements support the green transition - or do they hinder it? And who wins, who pays the price, and are there more sustainable alternatives?

Speakers include Derek Beach, professor of political science at Aarhus University with expertise in the EU, international negotiations, and European integration; Marie Hedegaard Jørgensen, sociologist specializing in economic sociology and sociology of knowledge, employed by the association Gode Penge and contributor to the newsletter Ude Af Kurs at Føljeton; and Marcus Popov, project manager and co-editor of DEO's book on EU trade agreements, cand.mag. in the History of Ideas from Aarhus University. The meeting is moderated by Tina Mensel, project manager at DEO, and takes place in the Main Hall.

DEO's new book can be purchased for 50 kr. in connection with the event. DEO members receive it directly before the meeting.