European Sovereignty Index: Ranking of EU countries in Economy, Protection, Health, Technology and Climate 2022

The European Sovereignty Index was built to measure the contribution of EU member states to the construction of European sovereignty. The latter is to be achieved by achieving a high level of implementation of common European policies, achieving the common objectives at European level by member states, but it also independent initiatives from member states designed to help in the strengthening of the European coordination and response in these areas. The index is carried out by an international ThinkTank, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), whose chief role is to study and promote debate concerning issues of European Foreign Policy and Common Security. The index rates the overall achievement for each member country, as well as an assessment in 6 specific areas: Climate, Defense, Economy, Health, Migration and Technology. This makes it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the European Union in these areas as well as the comparison between member countries.

The data necessary for the generation the Index is provided by the reports compiled from the associated researchers assigned to each of the 27 countries, as well as from the official data the member states provide, such as official statistics, surveys that measure public perceptions or other rankings.

The European Sovereignty Index is rated with values from 0 to 10, where values from 0 to 4 are indicator that the country has failed to achieve common objectives in the relevant field; the values 4 to 5 mean that the country has marked a poor level of achievement: the values 5 to 6 show a somewhat satisfactory level of achievement; ratings from 6 to 8 indicate good level of achievement; and ratings from 8 to 10 indicate excellent performance in the respective field.

In order to produce an estimated country rating, the European Sovereignty Index applies a pondered average, where the achievement of common objectives is weighted by taking into account the capacities of each country.

In it’s overall assessment, the Index shows that the European sovereignty in the year 2022 has marked the most significant progress in the field of Health, namely scoring 6.7 out of 10 points in total. The second best rated was the field of Economy, which is estimated with 6.2 points index out of 10 points. The Defense received a 5.9 rating out of 10 points in total. The fields of Climate, which scored an 5.4 points index and that of Migration with 5.2 points index out of 10, were evaluated at a somewhat satisfactory level. The fields with the weakest results in achieving common objectives in EU policy and therefore, in contributing to European Sovereignty, were Technology, in which EU countries jointly they scored only 4.8 points index out of 10 possible.

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

If we take a look at the ranking of the member states based on their respective contribution to the achievement of European sovereignty, through the implementation of common policies and objectives in the above mentioned areas, Germany stands at the top, with a Sovereignty Index of 6.9 out of 10 possible points. The Netherlands is rated with 6.8 points, followed by France with 6t.6, Sweden 6.5, Belgium 6.2 and Luxembourg 6.0. All he other countries have scored a rating of the European Sovereignty Index lower than 6 points, which means that the index for these countries is at low levels, respectively, in the “somewhat satisfactory” or “failing” classification. The countries with the lowest ating (classification of very bad situation or failure) are Bulgaria and Hungary, with respectively 3.9 points.

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

The Netherlands stands at the top in terms of the economy component, with 8.0 out of 10 points index. It is followed by Denmark with a 7.6 score, Sweden with 7.3 and Ireland 7.2. And, once again, Bulgaria with 3.4 points and Hungary 3.5 points are evaluated as the weakest of the chain, in terms of implementation and promotion of common economic policies.

The Economy index component assesses the contribution of member states to European economic sovereignty, focusing on trade and investment. This index explores the extent to which member states are vulnerable, or resilient, to economic interdependencies from other (non-EU) actors.

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

France is the country with the highest level of independence in terms of the Defense component, scoring 8.7 out of 10 points index. It is followed by Germany with 6.8 points, Italy with 6.5 and the Netherlands with 6.4. Defense is the component in which more countries are rated as in a very bad situation or failing, compared to the other components. Accordingly, the countries that are assessed as failing in this component are: Malta with an index of 2.1 points, Ireland with 2.1, Hungary with 2.9, Slovakia with 3.1, Bulgaria with 3.2, Croatia with 3.2, Latvia with 3.4, Austria with 3.4, Cyprus with 3.5, Luxembourg with 3.7 and Sweden with 3.7 points. In conclusion, there are 11 of the above-mentioned states whose score indicates a failure to contribute to the European Defense Sovereignty and 9 others that have scored weak results in securing their defense independence.

The Defense component index shows the ability of European countries to guarantee peace and security within their borders, as well as the ability to promote common foreign policy and security.

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Regarding the Technology component, member states of the European Union have had a poorer performance, than in the other components. Finland is the country that has scored the highest rating compared to other EU countries, with 7.4 points out of 10. It is followed by Luxembourg with an index of 7.1, Sweden 6.8 and Ireland 6.6. Wereas, France scored an index of 5.4 and Germany 5.3 points in this component, ranking respectively tenth and eleventh.

Members like Romania  – 3.2 points index, Hungary 3.3, Slovakia 3.4 and Bulgaria 3.5 have all scored poorly, indicating a failing related to this component.

The Technology Sovereignty Index assesses each country’s ability to produce advanced and critical technologies, in line with the values and interests of the European Union as a whole. So, it shows how independent these countries are from importing essential technologies from other countries outside the Union.  

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

As for the Climate index, Sweden is the best rated country with 7.8 points, followed by Denmark 7.5, Finland 6.6 and Portugal 6.5. Countries such as Romania with 3.5 points and Hungary with 3.9, are sitated on the failing spectrum of the performace.

The Climate Sovereignty Index assesses the ability of each member country to achieve the EU’s common objectives in this area, such as climate neutrality by 2050 and the contribution to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement (preventing the increase in global average temperature more than 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial level).  

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Germany is the EU country with the best rating in terms of Health with a performance of 8.6 points index out of 10. It is followed by the Netherlands with an index of 8.1, Denmark 7.9 and Luxembourg 7.7. Romania with 4.0 points and Bulgaria with 4.1 are rated poorly.

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Sweden has the best rating among EU countries, scoring 6.3 points index, in the Migration component. It is followed by Germany and Malta with 6.2 points respectively and Estonia with 6.0. Poland scores a negative performance with 4.3 points, Hungary 4.4 and the Czech Republic 4.5.

The Migration Sovereignty Index measures the capacity of each country to implement EU policies on adapting and improving the demographic situation (the aging problem), as well as meeting the needs of the labor market.

Source: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

The Sovereignty Index has brought about some interesting conclusions, uncovering many aspects concerning the capabilities or willingness of EU member states to contribute in the achievement of the common political objectives, to counter unpredictable situations through common action, but also to grow the Union’s autonomy from the influence of other global actors.

Download excel: European Sovereignty Index: Ranking of EU countries in Economy, Protection, Health, Technology and Climate 2022
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania
Contributed by: Ilir Brasha
Translated by: Rezarta Cushaj