The full video recording of the webinar “The Future of EU Security and Defence: Exploring Ways to Build Peace” is now available on the COMECE YouTube channel. The event was organised by the COMECE Youth Net and held online on Thursday, 5 June 2025. Watch the video
The discussion addressed today’s security threats and the strategic responses shaping both global and European approaches in the field of security and defence.
The webinar featured contributions from:
- Philip McDonagh, former Irish ambassador to India, Russia and the Holy See, and current adjunct professor and Director of the Centre for Religion, Human Values and International Relations at Dublin City University;
- Krastio Preslavsky, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, responsible for programming EU defence industry initiatives.
During the webinar, Professor McDonagh offered a broader, values-based perspective, emphasising that diplomacy should be grounded in moral and spiritual principles. He suggested that the European Union, with its rich tradition of cooperation, cultivation of trust and shared values, could become a leader in this field, although it has yet to fulfil its potential.
From a more institutional and policy-oriented standpoint, Mr Preslavsky focused on the operational challenges of defence within the EU, highlighting how the current fragmentation of defence structures across Member States has resulted in inefficiencies, poorly integrated supply chains and a lack of technological cohesion, leaving the continent exposed to external threats. He stated that these challenges could be addressed through more strongly coordinated investments, harmonised capabilities, and a firm commitment to safeguarding Europe’s citizens and defending its fundamental values.
This webinar served as a meaningful platform for critical reflection on the EU’s role in fostering peace and security in a world increasingly defined by waning dialogue, the erosion of multilateralism, and persistent conflict.
Young participants engaged deeply with the perspectives offered and left with a renewed commitment to strengthening their understanding of diplomacy, collective defence and the values that underpin sustainable peace.
The event was conceived and organised by the COMECE Youth Net, a consultative body within the COMECE Secretariat. Launched in 2022, the Youth Net it is composed of young delegates nominated by the EU Bishops’ Conferences.
The Youth Net supports the work of the COMECE Secretariat by bringing a youth perspective to all dimensions of EU policymaking, along with young people’s diverse sensitivities to current political and social challenges.