The European League for Economic Cooperation (ELEC) held its conference, Europe’s Defense Amid Today’s Foreign Policy Challenges: Between Strategic Autonomy and Global Security, on October 1, 2026, in Brussels. The conference brought together European policymakers, experts, industry representatives and civil society to discuss the future of European defense and foreign policy. Rather than focusing on rearmament alone, the event presented European defense as a broader policy for peace, cooperation and security, with an emphasis on reducing fragmentation among EU countries and strengthening Europe’s ability to act collectively on the global stage.
The discussions focused on how Europe can build a more coordinated and efficient defense system. Sessions examined reducing duplicated national defense spending, developing common standards, strengthening a European defense industry and creating economies of scale in areas such as cybersecurity, drones and air and naval defense. The conference also explored the creation of a proposed “Delors Defense Committee,” which would develop a roadmap toward a European Defense and Foreign Policy Union, and consider reforms to how European countries make joint decisions on defense and foreign policy.
The final part of the conference connected security and foreign policy with economic growth, investment, and wider European reforms. Discussions explored how industrial policy, research, technology, space, education, capital markets, and private investment could support a stronger European security environment. The conference concluded with a joint declaration among participating institutions, a proposal to establish the Delors Defense Committee, and a roadmap for future meetings, turning the day’s discussions into a longer-term European initiative.
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