European Sovereignty Days 2026
As Europe Day approaches, the existential challenges facing the EU continue to demand bold thinking and strategic vision. Join us at the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics for a season of vital and insightful conversations with leading European experts on energy, climate, digital policy and defence. Together, let's think BIG.
Discover the full programme of events below, and follow the links for more information and registration.
Apr 28 ― Energy security in an age of conflict: Lessons from the Iran war for the EU
17h00 – 18h00
Hôtel van Eetvelde, Avenue Palmerston 4, Brussels
As the Gulf conflict sends shockwaves through global energy markets, the EU must once again reconcile short-term crisis response with long-term strategic objectives. How can Europe manage the decline of its fossil fuel dependence in a way that strengthens, rather than undermines, its resilience in an increasingly conflict-prone world? Join our expert panel as we explore how geopolitical risk can be more effectively integrated into EU energy policy.
- Jilles van den Beukel, Energy Specialist, the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS)
- Brendan Devlin, Just Transition Advisor, DG ENER, European Commission
- Maria Pastukhova, Energy Transition Programme Lead, E3G (joining virtually)
- Thijs Van de Graaf, BIG’s Energy Fellow and author of Global Energy Politics (2020), will lead the discussion.
May 7 ― European digital sovereignty: Secure, competitive and free
14h00 – 15h00
Hôtel van Eetvelde, Avenue Palmerston 4, Brussels
Without a robust AI and tech ecosystem of its own, Europe will struggle to become a competitive player in the digital revolution – and risks a dystopian scenario in which the tools of tomorrow's prosperity are outsourced to MAGA and its Silicon Valley acolytes. In conversation at BIG, two of the continent's leading digital policy experts will explore how to cultivate the European prowess which our digital sovereignty demands.
- Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at the Stanford University Cyber Policy Center as well as a former MEP (2009-19) and one of the most clear-sighted advocates of European tech autonomy active today.
- Paul Timmers, professor at KU Leuven and European University Cyprus, geopolitics and technology, former Director at the European Commission’s DG CONNECT, where he led key legislation and funding programmes for cybersecurity, e-ID, and societal applications of ICT.
May 7 ― Europe’s defence sector: Building the foundations of strategic autonomy
15h30 – 16h30
Hôtel van Eetvelde, Avenue Palmerston 4, Brussels
The challenge is urgent: Europe needs to re-arm, and quickly. But it must also cultivate the frameworks which will enable it to act with strategic autonomy, from procurement to deployment. At the heart of this task lies Europe’s defence-industrial sector. What’s needed now to unlock their potential – and convert political will into home-grown military capacity fit for the threat landscape of an uncertain age? Join us as we seek insights from industry insiders at a crucial turning point for European defence.
- David Luengo, Director Head of Brussels Office, Indra Group
- Mikael Isaksson, Director of EU Affairs, SAAB
- Claude-France Arnould, BIG’s Senior Fellow for European Defence and former Executive Director of the European Defence Agency, will lead the discussion.
