Conference: Towards a defence union? European security and defence policy in the Trump era
In light of Russia’s war on Ukraine and a more uncertain transatlantic relationship, European security and defence policy is evolving rapidly. Developing a strong European defence industry is high on the agenda. Meanwhile, as great power competition intensifies and the United States changes its global role, addressing the challenges in Europe’s southern neighborhood becomes more difficult.
Accordingly, this conference examines current trends, challenges, and opportunities in European security and defence policy – and identifies key lessons for the upcoming Danish EU presidency. The conference brings together officials and experts in conversation with the wider public. It is hosted by the Centre for Military Studies, in collaboration with the Department of Political Science as part of the “Denmark in the Chair” programme in relation to the Danish EU presidency.
The first panel will examine how the EU adapts to an international situation characterized by strategic competition among great powers and the ongoing war in Ukraine. With a focus on efforts to advance Europe’s defence industry and the development of key technologies, it identifies challenges and opportunities for decision-makers seeking to make Europe more capable, resilient, and autonomous in the area of security and defence.
The second panel will examine European security and defence efforts in Africa and the Middle East. It considers ongoing changes in the EU’s efforts to advance the security interests of its members in the two regions and asks how European security and defence policy instruments could and should be employed in Europe’s southern neighbourhoods.
Preliminary Programme
- Jean-Pierre van Aubel (Senior Expert on Defence Policy and Strategy, European External Action Service, lead Writer on the Strategic Compass)
- Øyvind Svendsen (Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, NUPI)
- Kristian Søby Kristensen (Director, Institute for Strategy and War Studies, Royal Danish Defence College)
- Andreas Reckeweg Godfrey (Deputy Director for Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark)
- Ana Santos Pinto (Assistant Professor, NOVA University Lisbon, Chair of NATO’s expert group on the Southern Neighborhood)
- Emanuela C. Del Re (Honorary, Professor, former EU Special Representative for the Sahel, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy)
- Birgitte Markussen (Ambassador, Danish Special Representative for the Great Lakes and the Sahel, former Director at EEAS)
- Jacob Ashrifie (Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Ghana to the Kingdom of Denmark)
- Troy Van Zummeren (Lieutenant Colonel, USAFRICOM)
Date and time: Monday, June 16 at 12:00-17:00
Place: Auditorium 4A-0-69, ground floor, South Campus, Njalsgade 76, DK-2300 Copenhagen S
