On 2 and 3 September 2015, as part of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), an informal meeting of EU Defense Ministers at the European Convention Centre Luxembourg (ECCL).
The first session of the meeting will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence Étienne Schneider and will focus on monitoring the European Council for the month of June 2015. The Defense Ministers will exchange views on the implementation of European Council conclusions, and will centre around key topics such as cross-over threats, strengthening support systems in third countries and defense capabilities.
The views of the European Commission concerning defence and security in the European Union will be presented by special Defence advisor to Jean-Claude Juncker, Michel Barnier.
A second session will be chaired by Commission Vice-Presidency, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. In this session, ministers will be briefed on current CSDP (common security and defense policy) operations.
Talks will particularly focus on the EUNAVFOR MED operation, launched in June 2015 to combat human and material trafficking networks in the Mediterranean and in which Luxembourg has participated since July.
"The informal meeting in Luxembourg will enable Defence Ministers to conduct frank exchanges of views on the role of defence for the security in and around the European Union," commented Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of Luxembourg Étienne Schneider, ahead of the meeting. "The threats are numerous and diverse, and we need to be up to the challenges."
Photo by Sarah Graham (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Defense Étienne Schneider)
