Security and Defence Subcommittee (SEDE) - European Parliament

The objective of this hearing, on 30 June from 9.00-11.00, is to assess whether the use of drones complies with international law including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. Issues related to civilian casualties and impact on affected communities, the question of transparency and accountability as well as the need for meaningful compensation mechanisms will also be addressed.
Location : PHS 4B001, BRUSSELS
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

will take place on Thursday 30 June, 9:00-11:00 (room Paul-Henri Spaak 4B001) and 11:15-12:45 (room Altiero Spinelli 5E-2) in Brussels.

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This report outlines the potential for a more structured and strategic relationship between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Iran following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). To both address areas of disagreement and complaints, as well as pursue common interests and matters of mutual benefit, the EU needs to put in place an institutional framework that can withstand the various setbacks that have, to date, derailed all previous efforts of political dialogue. There are a number of areas where both actors can benefit from cooperation; trade, environmental and sustainability issues, education, and combatting drug trade. Even when pursuing more contentious issues such as human rights, having a strategic and fully-fledged multilevel relationship will be helpful. There are also a number of political crisis in the region (ISIS, migration) where reaching a solution without Iranian involvement will either be unnecessarily costly or near impossible.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Length of video : 187'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Length of video : 145'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Length of video : 185'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

"I condemn in the strongest terms the atrocious terrorist attacks that have taken place in recent weeks, notably in Baghdad, Istanbul, Tel Aviv and most recently in Orlando. I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the innocent victims and I wish a quick recovery to those injured."
"Terrorism cannot be justified by any reason or ideology. We must stand united with all the states affected by acts of terrorism in condemning and combatting it in all its forms. The fight against terrorism should be global and, in the frame of its responsibilities, our subcommittee will remain committed to enhancing international security."
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

On 16 June, the former NATO secretary general and the EU high representative Javier Solana will present the main findings of the study on the EU security and defence, which will feed in the future own-initiative report on the EU defence union to be drafted by Urmas Paet (ALDE, EE).
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Draft agenda
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On 15 June, Security and Defence MEPs will hold a workshop on Russian military presence in the Eastern Partnership Countries (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and South Caucasus). Together with the researchers they will debate the effects of this military presence and future perspectives.
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Workshop programme
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Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

On 15 June, SEDE will hold an exchange of views on the security situation in Ukraine and the reform of the civilian security sector with Kęstutis Lančinskas, Head of Mission of EUAM Ukraine, Kenneth Deane, Director, CPCC, EEAS and Mykola Tochytskyi, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the EU.
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Draft agenda and meeting documents
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

On 16 June, SEDE will hold an exchange of views on the EU-NATO capability development cooperation with Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, and General Denis Mercier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. The NATO-EU Capability Group was established in May 2003 to address common capability shortfalls and to ensure the coherence and mutual reinforcement of NATO and EU capability development efforts such as the Smart Defence and the Pooling and Sharing initiatives.
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draft agenda and meeting documents
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

The Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) held its Seventh Congress, the first since 1980, from 6 to 9 May 2016. In theory, the Congress is the highest deliberative body of the only governing party of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Congress yielded relatively modest results, with no real breakthrough, apart from establishing the 'defensive' nuclear deterrence concept. Kim Jong-un’s position as North Korea's supreme leader was fully formalised and now seems to be stronger than ever. The Party is likely to gain further power at the expense of the military. Nuclear deterrence is now firmly enshrined in the Party's statutes as well as the country’s constitution. Pyongyang has made clear that no nuclear deal is possible unless the US and its allies accept North Korea as a 'nuclear state'. Despite its propaganda announcements, North Korea is not ready to modernise its sclerotic economy. While some cautious developments cannot be ruled out, the regime's open criticism of the Chinese economic model suggest that any reforms would be limited and very probably inconclusive.
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will take place on Wednesday 15 June, 9:00-12:30 and 15:00-18:30 and Thursday 16 June, 9:00-12:30 in Brussels.

Organisations or interest groups who wish to apply for access to the European Parliament will find the relevant information below.

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watch the meeting live
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Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Length of video : 123'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Following the impetus by the European Council in December 2013, emphasizing that defence investments are the key to develop, deploy and sustain military capabilities in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy, the European Commission and the European Defence Agency, have worked on establishing a preparatory action on CSDP research. The Commission will present the relevant terms and provide an outlook on the implementation of the preparatory action at SEDE meeting on 30 May 2016.
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Draft agenda and meeting documents
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Emanating from Russia in the east and the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the south, the EU has been increasingly hit by destabilising messages amounting – in different forms and to different degrees – to coherent hostile ‘strategic communications’ campaigns, or the processes of infusing communications activities with an agenda or plan to impact the behaviour of a target audience. Both Russia and ISIL have engaged in aggressive messaging and deceptive media campaigns, albeit with distinct narratives, targets and audiences. This paper analyses the ‘what’ and the ‘how’: the respective narratives of each actor, their specificities, their similarities and their differences. The analysis also draws attention to strategic communications efforts undertaken by the EU, which are vectored into defensive (react and respond) and offensive (probe and push) dimensions. This understanding of the present context finally allows for an evaluation of what actions can be taken to enhance the effectiveness of the EU’s own strategic communications.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

On 30 May, SEDE will exchange views with Rear Admiral Waldemar Gluszko, Deputy Director General of the EU Military Staff at the European External Action Service on the Clearing House Mechanism. This Mechanism offers the possibility for the EU to coordinate the provision of military equipment, services and other assets and capabilities coming from Member States, Third States and International Organisations in order to enhance partner countries’ ability to manage crises by themselves.
Further information
Draft agenda and meeting documents
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP