On April 29, 2016 the Atlantic Council partnered with the Delegation of the European Union to the United States and the United States Institute of Peace to organize the 5th Annual Transatlantic Symposium on the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). This flagship conference is the largest public event hosted each year by the EU in Washington, aiming to bring together high-level American and European decision-makers and experts for a timely discussion on the threats and challenges that the transatlantic community must confront.

The symposium was opened by the Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, who currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU. She was joined by several other senior EU and Member State officials, and upwards of 350 security and defense stakeholders from both sides of the Atlantic attended the conference.