The seminar “Strengthening Security and Defence in Europe” took place 29-31 October 2025 in Gouda, The Netherlands, organised by EUROFEDOP (Europese Federatie van het Overheidspersoneel) in cooperation with EZA and funded by the European Union. Representatives of trade unions from all security fields participated at the seminar. While the current external security situation in Europe certainly constitutes an urgent matter that affects many sectors, the seminar aimed to discuss the topics security and defence in a very comprehensive context. Speakers and participants exchanged knowledge and views on cooperation between different actors within and across sectors and states, in the area of defence, organized crime, judicial and police cooperation and the prison system. Moderator and program manager Femke Beumer oversaw very active discussions; most topics were attracting interest across sectors and participants raised many questions.
EUROFEDOP President Norbert Schnedl opened the seminar and welcomed everybody at the historical venue Gouda. Freedom, democracy, rule of law and human rights - these are the values we got used to and adhere to, but there is a continuous need to defend these values.
During the first panel on “Multifold defence challenges from the perspective of civil servants in Europe”, Brigadier General Lenny Hazelbag, Director of Strategy and Knowledge of the Dutch armed forces, provided a very comprehensive and eye-opening introduction into the topic. He outlined what we can do to face modern threats and reminded that the current situation is an important call for Europe to strengthen its ambition and resilience. His presentation was followed by a lively debate on several issues topical for all armed forces and civil society in Europe - for instance military service, cooperation with the medical field, and so on.
The panel next morning titled “Security, migration and organised crime - impact of current developments on the working reality of civil servants” was opened by Liina Lumiste, legal adviser at the Estonian Information System Authority. She highlighted the growing complexity of the cyber domain and attempts to internationally regulate it, which sheds important light on current geopolitical divides. The short debate following her presentation highlighted the need for constant cooperation and training, both between national actors and across borders. Didier Lenfant (CFTC France) highlighted current defence challenges, shedding light on the challenges of contractual and civil workers in the military sector. His recommendations encompassed higher investments in training and HR and modernization of the administrative process and recruitment, amongst others. Nicolae Cirlan (EPU) presented new forms of crime and talked about the evolution of organized crime, while providing interesting examples on successful police cooperation across borders.
After the coffee break, participants got the opportunity to learn in detail about the operations and staff of Frontex. First, the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Hans Leijtens, spoke in a very informative and engaging video on the mission, concrete tasks and different staff categories of Frontex. This video was followed by a presentation and Q&A session with Frontex Senior Liaison Officer Lara Alegria Ribeiro, who provided very interesting real-life examples also about cooperation between different European agencies. The multifaceted session was closed by the presentation of Associate Professor Valentina Faggiani on digitalisation of criminal justice in the European Union. Participants enjoyed learning more about the role of AI in crime and the essential role, as well as practical examples, of international cooperation fighting international crime.
The afternoon session moved on to explore challenges for civil servants in the judicial sector. Zacharias Symeou, chair of the migrant smuggling group at Eurojust, outlined the role of Eurojust and concrete working processes in the field of fighting internationally organized crime. Mutual legal assistance and the coordination of cross-border investigations and prosecutions were highlighted, including concrete examples, and were also vividly discussed by participants. Finally, Andreja Janković (Serbia) and Dermot Kelly (Ireland), both trade union representatives and both having real-life and in-depth knowledge of everyday working life in prisons in these two countries, talked about very similar challenges. There is an urgent need for humane and rehabilitative approaches and proactive solutions to solve the alarming situation in prisons across Europe.
The last part of the seminar focused again on military forces, starting with the presentation of innovative treatment methods and important recommendations with regards to post-traumatic stress disorder in the military services. Finally, Colonel of the General Staff Peter Schrottwieser discussed the modernization efforts of the Austrian army in the wider context of common European defence policies.
The seminar was closed by a summary of important points by President Norbert Schnedl and an outlook on future Eurofedop activities by Judith Hamburg-Madani.