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European Defence & Security Summit 2026

23 & 24 June

Cercle Royal Gaulois, Brussels

Europe enters 2026 at a decisive moment for its defence and security posture, as the era of strategy gives way to the era of delivery. Commitments on defence spending, industrial mobilisation and collective deterrence are no longer defined by political intent alone, but by their translation into operational capability and measurable readiness. Following the White Paper on European Defence and the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, supported by the European Defence Industrial Strategy, EDIP and the ReArm Europe Plan, the focus has shifted firmly toward implementation, joint procurement and industrial scale-up. These efforts unfold in a deteriorating security environment marked by persistent hybrid threats and intensifying geopolitical competition, including in the Arctic. As transatlantic coordination remains essential, Europe’s credibility increasingly depends on its capacity to act decisively and sustain resilience. The Summit therefore places readiness, governance and industrial execution at the centre of Europe’s security trajectory toward 2030.

Among the invited speakers

António Costa
President, European Council
Kaja Kallas
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Commission
Andrius Kubilius
Commissioner for Defence & Space, European Commission
Roxana Mînzatu
EVP Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, European Commission
Henna Virkkunen
EVP Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, European Commission
Ekaterina Zaharieva
Commissioner for Startups, Research & Innovation, European Commission
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, European Commission
André Denk
Chief Executive, European Defence Agency
James Appathurai
Deputy Assistant Secretary General, NATO
Timo Pesonen
Director General DG DEFIS, European Commission
Lorena Boix Alonso
Deputy Director General DG DEFIS, European Commission
Camille Grand
Secretary General of the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association (ASD)
Herald Ruijters
Deputy Director General DG DEFIS, European Commission
Thomas Lunau
Defence Adviser to President von der Leyen, European Commission
Filip Grzegorzewski
Head of Information Integrity and Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Division, European External Action Service
Hannah Neumann
Member of the European Parliament
Wouter Beke
Member of the European Parliament
Tobias Cremer
Member of the European Parliament
Villy Søvndal
Member of the European Parliament
Tomáš Zdechovský
Member of the European Parliament
Andreas Østhagen
Research Director Arctic & Ocean Politics, Fridtjof Nansen Institute
Anders Sjöborg
Deputy Chief Executive (EDA)
Bertrand de Cordoue
Advisor, Defence and Armament, Jaques Delors Institute
Kerstin Jorna
Director General, DG GROW, European Commission
Stefano Cont
Director of EDA’s Capability, Armament and Planning Directorate
Serafima Andreeva
Fridtjof Nansen Institute
Rodrigo da Costa
Executive Director at European Union Agency for Space Programme
Rear Admiral Francisco Javier Vázquez Sanz
EU Priority Capability Areas Coordinator, Spanish MoD
Jürgen Scraback
Head of Maritime Domain Unit, European Defence Agency
Jonathan Koski
Managing Director, NGC International INC
Dr. Benedetta Berti
Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Christian Hadjiminas
CEO & Founder, Theon Group & EFA Group
Rafal Modrzewski
CEO, ICEYE
Andrey Novakov
Member of the European Parliament
Tomas Tobe
Member of the European Parliament
Nathalie Chuard
Ambassador Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance
Barry Andrews
Member of the European Parliament
Helmut Brandstätter
Member of the European Parliament
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss
Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defence, EEAS
Nicholas Wallace
The Arsenal
Raphael Minder
Financial Times
Tim Mak
The Arsenal

Check the 2026 Agenda

Our mission is twofold: we aim to bring politics and business together in order to provide them with an opportunity to debate and pursue their common goals, giving a voice to all sides of the debate. The other priority of EBS is to provide European institutions with a platform where they can place their top priorities in the spotlight and advance the development of new pieces of legislation through discussion with a variety of actors and stakeholders.

Arnaud Thysen
Director General

They trust us

Among other: