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Annual EU Budget Conference 2022 - Enhancing EU strategic autonomy: a budget for a geopolitical Europe

Annual EU Budget Conference 2022 by Directorate-General for Budget, European Commission

The unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine shook the European security architecture to its foundations and prompted an urgent reassessment of Europe's geopolitical role. It also revealed weaknesses resulting from the EU's energy dependence. Addressing these challenges requires a robust financial response and a forward-looking vision at global and European level.

This year's Annual EU Budget Conference focuses on the role of the EU budget in supporting Europe's geopolitical role and building up its strategic autonomy.

High-level speakers - European and global policymakers, researchers, representatives of think tanks, civil society and businesses leaders - will debate on a broad range of topical questions in a lively, open and inclusive discussion, to which the wider audience will be invited to contribute.

To honour the European Year of Youth, young people will also participate and present their vision on how to build Europe's strategic autonomy and strengthen its geopolitical role.

Key questions will cover:

  • How does the EU budget help us face global challenges while continuing to support the economic recovery?
  • The Russian invasion prompted some EU countries to scale up national defence spending. What is the role for the EU budget in this new environment?
  • How does Europe finance its needs for energy and the green transition? Are the funds planned to date sufficient?
  • Is the EU budget up to the task of creating a geopolitical and strategically autonomous Europe?
  • How do young people perceive the future of the EU budget in the new geopolitical context?

Intrigued and willing to take part in the discussion?

The event has ended and you are now invited to watch the recorded video. The event programme will help you navigate through the video.

Watch the recording

Have a look at the photos of the event

  

  • 5 OCTOBER 2022
Annual EU Budget Conference 2022 - Agenda
English
(580.65 KB - PDF)
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  • 5 OCTOBER 2022
Annual EU Budget Conference 2022 - Speakers
English
(3.04 MB - PDF)
Download

Read more in our policy briefs about:

Logo European Year of Youth

The Annual EU Budget Conference is actively participating in the European Year of Youth by paying special attention to youth engagement during the conference.
  • EU budget
  • Monday 10 October 2022, 09:40 - 16:15 (CEST)
  • Brussels, Belgium
  • Live streaming available

Programme

  1. 10 Oct 2022, 09:40 - 09:50 (CEST)
    Welcome remarks

    Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration, European Commission

  2. 09:50 - 10:00 (CEST)
    Keynote address: The EU budget - financing today the Europe of tomorrow

    Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission (video message)

  3. 10:00 - 11:00 (CEST)
    FIRST THEMATIC DEBATE

    Investing in deterrence – a budget for security and defence

    Moderator: Paola Tamma, Reporter, Politico

    Panellists:

    Rasa Juknevičienė, MEP, Vice-chair Subcommittee on Security and Defence, European Parliament

    Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, European Commission

    Alessandro Profumo, CEO, Leonardo

    Mircea Geoană, Deputy Secretary General, NATO

  4. 11:30 - 12:30 (CEST)
    SECOND THEMATIC DEBATE

    Investing in energy security and independence – trade-off or synergy with the green transition?

    Moderator: Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, Director, EU Programme, Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE)

    Panellists:

    Tinne Van der Straeten, Minister of Energy, Belgium

    Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General for Budget, European Commission

    Michala Marcussen, Group Chief Economist and Head of Economic and Sector Research, Société Générale

    Tim Gould, Chief Energy Economist, International Energy Agency

  5. 14:15 - 14:30 (CEST)
    TED-STYLE TALK: "Financing EU strategic autonomy"

    Alexander Stubb, Director, School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute

  6. 14:30 - 15:45 (CEST)
    THIRD THEMATIC DEBATE

    An EU budget for a geopolitical Europe

    Moderator: Maria Tadeo, Europe reporter, Bloomberg

    Introductory speech: Zbyněk Stanjura, Minister of Finance, Czechia

    Panellists:

    Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration, European Commission

    Sigrid Kaag, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Netherlands

    Monika Hohlmeier, MEP, Chair Committee on Budgetary Control, European Parliament

    Odile Renaud-Basso, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

    Arancha González Laya, Dean, Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po Paris

  7. 15:45 - 15:55 (CEST)
    Keynote speech: A budget for Europe in a new geopolitical environment

    Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister, Croatia

  8. 15:55 - 16:10 (CEST)
    Looking to the future – youth perspectives

    Commissioner Johannes Hahn in conversation with Gianna Zoukidou, Human Rights Officer working for the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and Alexandre Romanenko, Student at the Sorbonne University in Paris

  10. 16:10 - 16:15 (CEST)
    Closing remarks

    Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration, European Commission

Speakers

Sigrid Kaag
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Netherlands
Alexander Stubb
Director and full-time professor, School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute
Tim Gould
Chief Energy Economist, International Energy Agency
Michala Marcussen
Group Chief Economist and Head of Economic and Sector Research, Société Générale
Gianna Zoukidou
Human Rights Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Practical information

When
Monday 10 October 2022, 09:40 - 16:15 (CEST)
Where
De Gasperi room (Charlemagne building)
Wetstraat 170 Rue de la Loi, 1049 Brussels, Belgium
Languages
English
Organisers
Directorate-General for Budget
Social media links

Contacts

General contact

Email
ec-annual-budg-conferenceatec [dot] europa [dot] eu

Related links

EU budget
EU budget 2021-2027
Long-term budget 2021-2027 and NextGenerationEU: Facts and figures
Access to EU funding

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