Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Council President Costa, ahead of the upcoming EU heads of state meeting, listened to ideas from high-level participants at the Conclave on EU defense.
European Council President António Costa, in his post on X, said,
In two weeks, the European Union’s heads of state and government will meet for an informal retreat to discuss European defence. The geopolitical context makes it an indisputable priority.
Today, at Conclave, I listened to thoughts and ideas from the high level participants in politics, business, academia, arts, civil society.
In two weeks, the European Union’s heads of state and government will meet for an informal retreat to discuss European defence. The geopolitical context makes it an indisputable priority.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) January 18, 2025
Today, at Conclave, I listened to thoughts and ideas from the high level participants in… pic.twitter.com/94olN82jvI
What is the purpose of the upcoming EU defense retreat?
On February 3, 2025, the European Union’s heads of state and government will hold a two-week retreat meeting at Château de Limont in Belgium to deliberate about European defense at a time of great challenge; this comes hot on the war in Ukraine, which is going on now. The retreat was deemed critical among priorities of the EU because this would mean giving a significant defense capability and enhancing security from external threats.
This current conflict in Ukraine has brought forward the need to rethink Europe’s defense strategies and capabilities. Leaders of the European Union are calling for ways on how to up the defense expenditure and military preparedness in relation to Russia’s aggressive moves. The President of the European Council, António Costa, has been quite active in speaking with high-ranking attendees from the world of politics, business, academia, arts, and civil society to gather perspectives and ideas for input into discussions to be taken during the sessions.
The retreat will also focus on enhancing cooperation among EU member states and NATO while taking into consideration the need for a harmonized approach to defense spending and resource allocation. These discussions at the retreat are likely to feed into a broader strategic framework for EU defense, further developed in a white paper on European defense that will be prepared.
