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SDA's sister think-tank, Friends of Europe, is a prominent and lively Brussels-based think-tank for EU policy analysis and debate.

The Security & Defence Agenda (SDA) is based in the Bibliothèque Solvay in the Parc Léopold next to the European Parliament.

The building houses the SDA team and serves as the venue for almost all SDA events in Brussels.

© Security & Defence Agenda
 

Cyber Security: A Transatlantic Perspective

On both sides of the Atlantic, policymakers are increasingly concerned that cyber-attacks represent a serious threat. The 2007 “cyberwar” against Estonia has been mirrored in the U.S. by repeated penetrations of secure government and military networks. But how closely are they working together to improve their defences? What steps are being taken by NATO and the EU to coordinate national cyber-defences, and what scope is there for private-public partnerships? In light of the transatlantic tensions created by some counter-terrorism measures, what is the outlook for a common agenda on cyber security?

Madeleine Albright
Former US
Secretary of State

 

Margot Wallström
Former Vice President of the European Commission

 

Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega
Spanish First Vice President of the Government

 

Lt. Gen. David Leakey Director General of the EU Military Staff

 

Jamie Shea
Director for Policy Planning, Private Office of the Secretary General of NATO

 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan 
Prime Minister of Turkey

 

Benita
Ferrero-Waldner
Former European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy

 

Zhe Song
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the EU

 

Antonios Chatzidakis
General Manager, NAMSA, NATO

 

Admiral James Stavridis
Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)

 

Ana Maria Gomes
MEP and Vice Chairwoman, Committee on Security & Defence, European Parliament

 

General Stéphane Abrial
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
(Jam Participant)

 

Carl Bildt
Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
(Jam Participant)

 

Marc Perrin de Brichambaut
Secretary General, OSCE
(Jam Participants)

 

Anne-Marie Slaughter
Director of Policy Planning, United States Department of State
(Jam Participants)

 

Geoffrey Van Orden
MEP, SubCommittee on Security and Defence, European Parliament

 

Kai Eide
UN Special Representative to Afghanistan, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(Jam Participant)

 

Vladimir Chizhov
Ambassador, Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU

 

Gen. Håkan Syrén
Chairman of European Military Committee (EUMC)
(Jam Participant)

 

François Gayet
Secretary General of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD)

 

Dmitry Rogozin
Ambassador, Mission of the Russian Federation to NATO

 

Alyson Bailes
Visiting Professor, University of Iceland

 

Peter Weilemann
European Office Director, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

 

Stefanie Babst
Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO

 

Jean-François Bureau
Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO

 

Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry
Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

 

Admiral Giampaolo di Paola
Chairman of the Military Committee, NATO

 

Commander Snowy Lintern
Liaison Officer of the EU Naval Force in Somalia

 

Shirin Ebadi
2003 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Does Europe need "Homeland Security"?

Recent events have shown just how current the threat of terrorism is to both the US and Europe. What concrete achievements can EU governments and institutions point to? Has greater coherence of national security policies in the EU been achieved? How has the Lisbon treaty and affected this area, and should there be plans for European Homeland Security Agency? Has the protection of critical infrastructures been high enough on the European agenda? What role for NATO in CIP? Are public-private partnerships a viable option, and, in sectors as diverse as telecommunications, water, energy, transport and power, what terrorist attacks scenarios are currently being studied?

ISN Newsfeed
Conflict Prevention and Resolution:
the Role of Cultural Relations 
 

On March 2nd, NATO the Security & Defence Agenda and the British Council welcomed over 250 participants to the international conference “Conflict Prevention and Resolution: the Role of Cultural Relations”.

This event brought together speakers from NATO, the EU, the British Council, and a variety of cultural organisations to discuss the pertinence of cultural awareness in conflict resolution.

Case studies from Afghanistan, Africa and the Balkans were brought before the Brussels strategic community, ranging from sport and photography to literature and the preservation of cultural heritage and traditions. Panellists discussed the perspective of integrating culture in NATO’s new Strategic Concept, as well as the need for better cultural training, new ways of dealing with local populations, and determining clear goals in how to integrate the cultural element in interventions in conflict zones.

More information on this event.