Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Inter-parliamentary Conference for the CFSP/CSDP

4.9. - 6.9.2019

Inter-parliamentary Conference for the CFSP/CSDP

The Inter-parliamentary Conference on Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CFSP / CSDP) provides a platform for debate and exchange of information and good practices between national Parliaments and the European Parliament in the field of foreign, security and defence policy.

This conference convenes every six months in the country holding the presidency or in the European Parliament in Brussels. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Conference, this event brings together up to six members of each national parliament and up to 16 representatives of the European Parliament. The national parliaments of the EU candidate countries and European NATO member countries can participate as observers and are represented by a delegation of up to four members.

Topics to be discussed during the Conference in Helsinki in September include EU’s global role, EU’s Defence, Transatlantic Relations, Climate Change and Security, Hybrid Threats, and Security Challenges in the Baltic Sea region.

Videos

Day 1: Sessions I - IV

Day 2: Session V

Photos

Flickr: FinnishParliament (Eduskunta)

Wednesday, 4 September

Arrival of the delegations

Thursday, 5 September

9:009:30 Meeting of the Presidency Troika and the European Parliament

9:3010:00 Meetings of the political groups

10:1510:45 Opening session: Introductory remarks

Mr Mika Niikko, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of Finland 

Mr Ilkka Kanerva, Chairman of the Defence Committee, Parliament of Finland 

Mr David McAllister, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament (AFET)

10:4511:45 Session I: Security Challenges in the Baltic Sea Region and the Arctic 

Chair: Mr Mika Niikko, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of Finland

Keynote speaker: President of the Republic of Finland, Mr Sauli Niinistö

Discussion

11:4513:15 Lunch 

13:1514:30 Session II: Exchange of views on the priorities of the EU in the area of CFSP and CSDP

Chair: Mr David McAllister, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament

Speaker (video link): Ms Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission 

Discussion

14:3016:00 Session III: Restoring Transatlantic Unity in Global Affairs

Moderator: Ms Teija Tiilikainen, Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)

Speakers: 
Mr Carl Bildt, Co-Chair, European Council on Foreign Relations

Ms Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic and Director for Europe Programme, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Dr Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs

Discussion

16:00–16:30 Family photo and Coffee break

16:30–18:00 Session IV: Quo Vadis EU Defence: a Force for Peace or a Military Power?

Moderator: Mr Janne Kuusela, Director General, Defence Policy Department, Ministry of Defence, Finland

Speakers: 
Ms Nathalie Loiseau, Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament

LtGen Esa Pulkkinen, Director General, European Union Military Staff, European External Action Service (EEAS)

Ms Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali

Discussion


Friday, 6 September

9:0010:00 Three simultaneous breakout workshops 

Workshop 1: Political Developments in the Western Balkans

Moderator: Mr Tonino Picula, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament 

Speaker: Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, Ambassador at Large for the Arctic, and former Head of Delegation and European Union Special Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Discussion

Workshop 2: Countering Hybrid Threats: Assessing the EU’s Policies and Instruments

Moderator: Ms Hanna Smith, Research Director, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats

Speaker: Mr Vilmos Hamikus, Head of Sector, Hybrid Threats in the Division of Security and Defence Policy (EEAS)

Discussion

Workshop 3: Iran - options for the EU and the future of the nuclear deal 

Moderator: Mr Michael Gahler, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Volker Perthes, Director, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)

Discussion

10:0010:30 Coffee break

10:3012:00 Session V: Climate Change and Security

ModeratorMr Antto Vihma, Senior Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)

Speakers:
Mr Lukas Rüttinger, Senior Project Manager at Adelphi 

Mr Mika Anttonen, Chairman of St1 Nordic

Discussion

Closing Remarks:

Mr Ilkka Kanerva, Chairman of the Defence Committee, Parliament of Finland

Mr David McAllister, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament

Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa

Kalastajatorpantie 1, Helsinki, Finland