European defence talks

23 October 2023 at the Fondation Universitaire de Belgique

Programme

9:00 am - Welcome

9:20 am - Opening Remarks

Dr. Stéphane Rodrigues - Sorbonne War Studies/IREDIES Institut de Recherche en Droit International et Européen de la Sorbonne (University of Paris 1)

9:30 am - 11:00 am - Who Decides?

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is there a growing willingness in Europe to balance burden-sharing and create the "comprehensive full spectrum force package" that the EU called for when launching Permanent Structured Cooperation? What is the role of European defence in the future set-up of the defence of Europe? And who will set the strategy?

Chair:                Federico Santopinto - Senior researcher at IRIS

Speakers:          Bernard Guetta - MEP and author of " The European Nation".

                           LTG Michel Yakovleff - Former Vice Chief of Staff of SHAPE (NATO)

                           Prof. Sven Biscop - Director at Egmont and Prof. at Gent University

11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Who Pays?

There will be no increase in military industrial capacities or more military equipment without firm orders. Today, common acquisition seems the only way forward to correct a fragmented market and expand the European Defence Industrial and Technological Base. However, are Member States prepared to let the European Union act as an acquisition agency?

Chair:                 Frédéric Mauro - Lawyer at the Brussels bar, specialised in European defence

Speakers:           Michael Gahler - Member of the European Parliament

                            Nathalie Errard - Head of EU & NATO Affairs of Airbus

                            Jean-Pierre Maulny - Deputy Director of the Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques (IRIS)

1 pm - Closing remarks

Cocktail