At the core of the seminar was a capacity-building session for the DBwV leadership about strategic interest representation to the EU with Klaus Heeger (CESI General Secretary), Thomas Sohst (Chair of CESI’s Trade Council ‘Defence’**) and Emmanuel Jacob (President of the European Organisation of Military Associations, EUROMIL).

This session took place in the context of bilateral meetings with key staff in the EU institutions: On Wednesday, May 6, the CESI/DBwV delegation met at the Council of Ministers with Colonel (GS) Peter Kallert from the EU’s Military Committee (EUMC) to broadly discuss the interests of the DBwV in the context of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Thursday saw a corresponding debate at the European Parliament with the office of German MEP Michael Gahler (EPP).

During these encounters, the CESI/DBwV delegation did not hesitate to raise two subjects especially close to its heart: The necessity of an effective right for coalition for employees in the defence sector in all EU Member States and the need to establish common rights for soldiers from the different EU Member States whenever they are on a common mission.

*The DBwV represents the interests of approximately 200,000 German affiliates in all aspects of service and social justice in the armed forces, be it active-duty soldiers, civilian members of the armed forces or supporting members. The CBwV is a long-standing member of CESI.
**CESI’s Trade Council ‘Defence’ is its primary forum of debate on policy and political developments in the area of working conditions for employees in the field of defence, bringing together representatives from its member organisations working in this field.