EU leaders are seeking to maintain stability in an evolving era of ‘polycrisis’. The covid 19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and a volatile geopolitical situation resulting in price increases have all contributed to instability. They have brought questions of security of supply, strategic autonomy, and industrialisation back to the top of the EU agenda. Yet so far, the EU has sought to address this agenda without seriously considering a critical lever at its disposal: managing Europe’s resource use. Faced with surges in cost of living, growing inequality of wealth and income, and unprecedented consequences of climate change, the EU must take advantage of all levers available – including resource-wise demandside policy – to ensure its economy is fit to deliver well-being and protection for all.

The coming European elections and the next EU institutions’ mandate will be a critical time to decide how to shape a path to resilience: by continuing to increase our dependencies and inequalities, or to put demand management at the heart of the EU strategic agenda through a sufficiency-driven approach.