The opening week of the 33e edition of the European Session of Senior Armaments Officials (SERA33) was held in Paris from 14 to 18 March.
This European session brings together, for the year 2022, 76 auditorsThe meeting will be attended by representatives of the European Commission (DG DEFIS), the European Defence Agency and the OCCAr, as well as institutional and industrial representatives from all the EU Member States, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom and Turkey. Over the course of the 4-week session, from March to June 2022, the SERA33 delegation will reflect on and discuss the following general theme: European strategic autonomy" vs. Nation first"_How to proceed in favour of European defence industry?
Following an opening address by Lt-Gen Benoît DURIEUXIn accordance with the Chatham House Rule, the programme for this inaugural week was structured around conferences on issues relating to European sovereignty and strategic autonomy, space issues and the challenges facing the European defence industry. During this first week, the SERA33 delegation also visited three industrial sites in the Paris region (MBDA, Thales SIX and Nexter).
This French opening week also launched the committee work dynamic, with 3 committee sessions being held. This year, auditors will be looking at issues such as access to finance for defence industries, the development of new technologies and their impact on the way war is waged, and access to rare resources and materials.
The 1re week of SERA33 ended with a closing speech by the Chairman of the Dr. Gustav LINDSTROMDirector of the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS). The SERA33 auditors will meet again in Munich at the end of April for the second week of the session.
33rd edition of the European Session for Armaments Representatives_French week#1 (opening week).
The opening week of the 33rd edition of the European Session for Armaments Representatives took place in Paris, last week, from March 14 to March 18. 76 attendees, institutional and industrial representatives from EU Member States, Switzerland, Norway, the UK, Turkey but also from European and international institutions and organizations (European Commission with the DG.DEFIS, European Defence Agency, OCCAr) have been nominated to attend the session. The general theme for the 2022 edition is the following one ; European strategic autonomy " vs. Nation first"_How to proceed in favor of European defence industry ?.
Beyond the opening address delivered by Lt.Gen. Benoît DURIEUX, Director of the French Institute for Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) at the beginning of the session, the program of this week included the organization of conferences, held under the Chatham House rule, on various topics such as European strategic autonomy and sovereignty, space ambitions at the European level and current challenges for the European defence industry. The SERA33 delegation has also had the opportunity to visit, during this week, three industrial sites (MBDA, Thales SIX, Nexter) located in the Paris region.
This opening week also provided the opportunity to launch the cycle of committee sessions (3 committee sessions scheduled during this week). Attendees have started discussing, on this occasion, a certain number of issues related to access to finance for European defence industry, European space activities, key technologies and the future of warfare, but also European policy for scarce materials.
This first SERA33 week concluded with a closing address given by Dr. Gustav LINDSTROM, Director of the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS). SERA33 attendees will meet in Munich, in April, for the second week of the programme.
