Svalbard, Ukraine and Winter Power on the EU’s Security Agenda

On Monday 26 October at 10.30 a.m., State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson meets the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs. The meeting opens a visit to Oslo and Svalbard, where the parliamentarians will examine the legal framework surrounding the archipelago and cooperation between Norway and the EU.

The visit lasts until 28 October, according to the European Parliament’s weekly programme. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms the meeting with Petersson. For Norway, the trip brings the EU’s political attention to the far north, to an area where rights, international cooperation and security meet.

Throughout the week of 26 October to 1 November, European representatives will work on several sides of the same challenge: protecting societies against military attacks, political influence and failures in essential supplies.

Ukraine and the Middle East in Paris

The same Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius attend the defence ministers’ meeting in Paris.

The meeting is held in the E5, the five-country format that brings together France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom. The EU’s participation links the Union’s security work to cooperation among five of Europe’s central military powers.

Support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East are on the agenda. NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska takes part in both working sessions, the alliance says. A joint press conference is scheduled for 5.00 p.m. Norwegian time.

Democracy under pressure

From 26 to 28 October, the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield visits Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The delegation will examine how disinformation, cyberattacks and economic pressure affect democratic institutions and the country’s path towards the EU. Influence from Russia, China and countries in the Middle East is part of the inquiry.

The parliamentarians will meet authorities, media, researchers and civil society organisations. They will also look at the role of digital platforms and at weaknesses in laws and institutions that can be exploited for foreign interference.

The work thus turns attention to another part of Europe’s defence: citizens’ ability to get reliable information, take part in free elections and hold those in power to account.

The people behind the defence plans

In Malmö, the European Commission and the Swedish Association of Defence Industries (SOFF) gather young professionals from across Europe on 27 and 28 October.

The conference, the European Young Professionals Defence Summit, will focus on workforce, skills, technologyand the growth of the defence industry. Participants will meet experts and decision-makers and discuss how technological development can be turned into equipment that works in operations.

Behind the plans for greater European defence capability, then, lie questions of education, recruitment and the people who will develop and produce the materiel.

Power and supplies before winter

On Thursday 29 October, EU energy ministers meet in Luxembourg. On the agenda is security of supply for winter 2026–2027.

According to the Council’s meeting programme, the ministers will assess the pressure on energy deliveries and prices from Russia’s war against Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. They will also discuss long-term challenges, including the effects of climate change.

A proposal on grid tariffs is part of the meeting. The aim is to reduce costs in the power system and facilitate electrification. The ministers will also discuss future targets for the resilience of the energy system and interconnections between countries.

Here, security policy reaches all the way into household electricity bills. Access to energy also determines whether jobs and essential public services can keep running.

Canada closer to Europe

The week ends with the EU–Canada summit in Montréal on 29 and 30 October. Prime Minister Mark Carney meets António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

The leaders will develop cooperation on security, the defence industry, energy, critical minerals and technology. According to the Canadian government, the aim is to turn the different strengths of Canada and the EU into concrete benefits on both sides of the Atlantic.

The summit builds on the security and defence partnership and Canada’s participation in SAFE, Security Action for Europe, which supports joint defence procurement by EU countries.

In Montréal, the need for raw materials, industry and technology meets the ambition for greater political freedom of action. The concrete agreements will show how far the leaders are prepared to go.