This Week in Defence — Brussels (#13, 2026)
EIB control report scrutinised; SEDE adopts opinion on Horizon Europe 2028-2034; BUDG reviews EIB and budget files; Council prepares Foreign Affairs meeting.
April 05, 2026 to April 11, 2026
EIB control report scrutinised; SEDE adopts opinion on Horizon Europe 2028-2034; BUDG reviews EIB and budget files; Council prepares Foreign Affairs meeting.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 📅 This Week's Calendar in Brussels
• 🤝 EU Council
• ✒️ EP Committee Work
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week
This Week's Calendar in Brussels
- Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE): On April 14, the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: Joint SEDE-ITRE: The Implementation of the 2026-2027 European Defence Industry Programme Work Programme: capability priority projects, with Francois Arbault, Director for Defence Industrial Programmes (DG for Defence Industry and Space, European Commission).
- Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE): On April 14, the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: Chair’s announcements; Countering FIMI: shifting gears from tracking the threat to actively disrupting the attack, with Matthew Reece, Director for Policy Planning and Strategic Communication, EEAS; Date of next meetings.
- Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET): On April 15, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: * * *; 2025 Commission report on Türkiye; Chair’s announcements.
- Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET): On April 15, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: * * *; Chair’s announcements; Conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Political, Economic and Cooperation Strategic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the United Mexican States, of the other part.
- Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE): On April 15, the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: Chair’s announcements; Date of next meetings; Structured Dialogue with Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space.
EU Council
Council prepares for Foreign Affairs Council on Ukraine, Middle East, and EU security
The Council of the European Union will convene on 11 May 2026 in the Foreign Affairs configuration. Ministers are scheduled to exchange views on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and address the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the ongoing conflict in Iran and its regional effects. The agenda includes relations with Western Balkans partners and a briefing on the updated EU threat analysis. In the margins, ministers will participate in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and the inaugural High-Level Political Dialogue with Syria.
EP Committee Work
SEDE adopts opinion on Horizon Europe 2028-2034 framework
The Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) adopted its opinion on 9 April 2026 regarding the Commission proposal for a regulation establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for 2028-2034 (COM(2025)0543 – C10-0164/2025 – 2025/0543(COD)). Rapporteur Costas Mavrides included provisions on defence research, dual-use technologies, and strategic autonomy. The opinion supports increased ambition for defence-related R&D within the programme and calls for synergies between civil and military innovation. The document was forwarded to the lead committee, ITRE, for consideration in the legislative process.
BUDG reviews EIB annual report and multiannual budget files
On 8 April 2026, the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) convened in Brussels to consider the draft report on the financial activities of the European Investment Bank Group for 2025 (rapporteur: Joachim Streit, Renew). The agenda also included draft opinions on the Connecting Europe Facility 2028-2034 (rapporteur for opinion: Janusz Lewandowski, PPE) and the Single Market and Customs Programme 2028-2034 (rapporteur for opinion: Danuše Nerudová, PPE). The committee discussed amendments, deadlines for tabling, and cross-committee coordination, with several defence, security, and dual-use dimensions referenced in the multiannual financial framework proposals. Votes on related files are scheduled as part of the committee’s ongoing work.
What We're Reading This Week
- Centauros: Greece's anti-drone system that changes 'war of drones' at low cost: Greece unveils Centauros, an affordable anti-drone system poised to shift battlefield dynamics and counter drone threats effectively.
- Going abroad: What will Germany's new military service act actually change: Germany's new military service act aims to expand conscription eligibility and bolster armed forces amid rising security concerns.
- EU ambassadors hold private discussions on mutual defence clause amid rising geopolitical tensions: EU diplomats are exploring ways to strengthen collective defense commitments as security concerns escalate across the region.
- France aims to spend €76.3B on defense in 2030: France targets a record defense budget for 2030, signaling increased military investment amid evolving global security challenges.
- Magyar plans to transform Hungary’s defense: Hungarian leadership unveils ambitious reforms aimed at modernizing and strengthening the country's national defense capabilities.
