On Monday 22 September, the European Committee of the Regions launched its working group on defence. The group is chaired by Fernando López Miras (EPP, Spanish) until July 2027, when he will be replaced by a member of Renew Europe.
“The launch of this group comes at a decisive moment. Our aim is clear: to give regions and cities a voice in European debates on defence, security, preparedness and resilience”, explained Mr López Miras when he was elected by acclamation.
The group, which has nine members and nine alternates, was officially established on 1 April 2025 for five years, until January 2030.
The working group’s mission is to deal with the gradual development of a common EU defence policy and its implications from a territorial point of view, to address issues of civil preparedness and the resilience of local and regional authorities, to provide a platform for interinstitutional cooperation and the sharing of experience, good practice and know-how between its members and European associations, and finally to promote the coherence of opinions related to the defence policy area.
The group’s priorities for the first six months of its mandate are investment in defence capabilities, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), civil protection mechanisms, transport, including military mobility, and hybrid threats, including the manipulation and interference of foreign information.
The working group will meet two or three times a year. The next meeting is scheduled for December. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)