U.S. Institute of Peace
2301 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC
June 13, 2018
8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
8:00 Breakfast
8:20-8:22 Welcoming remarks by H.E. David O’Sullivan, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States
8:22-8:30 Opening Remarks by Pedro Serrano, Deputy Secretary General for CSDP, European External Action Service
8:30-9:30 Panel 1: EU and U.S. Defense Strategies: Shared or Conflicting Objectives?
Bound by shared commitment to democracy, liberty, and rule of law, Europe and the United States share common global security challenges. In the age of growing conventional and asymmetric challenges, what are the areas in which the United States and the European Union can strengthen policy coordination and enforcement? How do the U.S. National Security Strategy and EU Global Strategy position the United States and Europe to combat growing subversive challenges and strengthen transatlantic unity and solidarity?
9:30-10:00 Morning Keynote: Transatlantic Relations: The View from the U.S. Senate
10:00-10:30 Secondary Keynote: Renewed Ambition for EU Defense and What to Expect from the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)
Due to a changing security environment on Europe’s periphery, EU member states have agreed to enhance cooperation in security and defense. The Permanent Structured Cooperation on security and defense (PESCO) aims to increase the effectiveness of individual member states in addressing regional security challenges. How will PESCO further integrate EU member state defensive capabilities? How will the European Union strengthen cooperation with other multilateral organizations to combat security challenges?
10:30-10:45 Coffee Break
10:45-11:45 Panel 2: Framework for Stronger NATO-EU Cooperation
NATO and the European Union are not only essential partners who share common strategic goals and values, but share twenty-two member nations. Both institutions have pledged to strengthen cooperation to bolster resilience to hybrid threats, disinformation campaigns, and cyber-attacks; ensure coherence on conventional defense planning and coordination of exercises; and cooperate on operations in the Western Balkans, Afghanistan, and the maritime domain. How can NATO and the EU strengthen their cooperation on issues of mutual interest?
11:45-11:50 Video on EU Operation in the Sahel
11:50-12:50 Panel 3: Security in North Africa and the Sahel
The EU maintains a comprehensive approach to security and development in the Sahel, including CSDP missions in Niger and Mali as well as a training mission in Mali. As a result of the rise in political and military instability, the EU’s CSDP has prioritized economic development, military operations, and training missions to strengthen the capacities of local actors. How does the EU’s CSDP cooperate with member state and U.S. military missions in the Sahel? CT
12:50-1:15 Break for lunch
1:15-2:15 Lunch Session: U.S., EU, and NATO Reaction to Russian Hybrid Activity
2:15 End of symposium