Today, Friday 12 September 2025, the General Assembly on Defence, Space and Cybersecurity was held at Esrin, the European Space Agency's Earth Observation Programme Centre in Italy. The event was organised by the European Parliament and the European Commission, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), to promote dialogue between European and national policymakers and industry leaders.

Representatives of the main European entities discussed the future of the European Union, which faces unprecedented post‑war challenges in an increasingly complex geopolitical context. Participants examined Europe’s needs in key sectors such as space, cybersecurity and defence, within the broader context of the Atlantic Alliance. Acting at the European level, as demonstrated by projects such as Galileo, Egnos and Copernicus, not only delivers extraordinary added value in terms of innovation, industrial competitiveness, economies of scale and spending efficiency, but also strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy, the security of its citizens and the protection of its critical infrastructures.

The group included experts from major European bodies, among them: Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space; Adolfo Urso, Italian Minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy; Matteo Piantedosi, Italian Minister of the Interior; General B. Luigi Vinciguerra, Brigadier General of the Guardia di Finanza - Head of the III Operations Department, General Command; Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency; Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes and Head of ESRIN; Carlo Corazza, Head of the European Parliament Office in Italy; Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, President of the Military Committee of the Naro; Teodoro Valente, President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI); Hans de Vries, Chief Cybersecurity and Operations Officer (COO) - Enisa; Fabio di Stefano, Communications at the European Parliament in Italy.

Opening the Assembly’s proceedings, the long address by the ESA Director General, Aschbacher, which we reproduce in full in the Pdf below.