Steven Blockmans

Steven Blockmans is a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe (Bruges and Natolin) and an Associate Senior Research Fellow at CEPS. He also holds roles as Senior Fellow at ICDS (Tallinn) and Editor-in-Chief of the European Foreign Affairs Review. His research focuses on EU foreign and security policy, defense integration, institutional reform, and enlargement processes. Previously, he served as a tenured Professor of EU External Relations Law and Governance at the University of Amsterdam (2012–2022) and held visiting positions at Leuven University and the Asser Institute.

Education: PhD in International Law (Leiden University), MA in Public International Law (Leiden University), and a Diploma in Political and Social Sciences from Sciences Po Paris.

Key research interests include the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, defense union development, and geopolitical strategy. He has authored influential works such as The Obsolescence of the European Neighbourhood Policy (2017) and co-edited volumes on EU global governance and CSDP. His advisory work spans high-level task forces on topics like the European Defence Union (2015) and the European External Action Service (2021).

Blockmans frequently briefs EU and G20 policymakers, testifies before parliamentary committees, and contributes to media commentary on EU affairs. He has advised governments on EU relations and led technical assistance projects in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Recent projects include analyzing Ukraine’s EU accession implications, EU-China sanctions dynamics, and geopolitical strategies in the Indo-Pacific. His work emphasizes EU institutional coherence, security competitiveness, and the integration of defense and economic policies.