ONLINE STOCKTAKING EU CONFERENCE

STOCKTAKING 2026: Coordinating European Strength - Building unity in security, trade and competitiveness

With the war in Ukraine still raging and the international political rulebook reshaped, the EU is seeking to strengthen its competitiveness and build alliances to project influence on the global stage. 

The Commission highlights the importance of making Europe fit for the future by reinforcing our security and defence, reforming the single market and advancing its energy transition, all while staying true to the ideals that have forged the union such as rules-based trade and the belief in international cooperation.

The 2026 STOCKTAKING conference evaluates the past year’s developments and explores how the EU’s priorities are likely to evolve as it calls for a focus on strengthening internal cohesion, advancing energy initiatives and building alliances.

This second STOCKTAKING conference will evaluate the Commission’s first year, looking closely at four key agendas that define the Commission’s political priorities and illustrate its ambition and direction.

Preliminary programme:

WELCOME

Margrethe Vestager, Chair, Stocktaking EU and Former Executive Vice President, European Commission

THE COMPETITIVENESS AGENDA UNDER REVIEW

KEYNOTE: Stephanie Lose, Minister for Economic Affairs, Denmark (testimonial)
 
  • Christel Schaldemose, MEP, S&D
  • Lars Sandahl Sørensen, CEO, Danish Industry
  • Claes-Mikael Stahl, Deputy General Secretary, ETUC
  • Carl-Johan Dalgaard, Chair, the Secretariat of the Danish Economic Councils
  • Nils Redeker, Co-Director, Jacques Delors Centre

THE NORDIC MOMENT

KEYNOTE: Elina Maria Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland

RESPONSE FROM: Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway

PROSPECTS FOR RULES-BASED TRADE

KEYNOTE: Maria Martin-Prat, Deputy Director-General, Trade and Economic Security, European Commission
 
  • Jean-Marie Paugam, Deputy Director-General, WTO
  • Andrew Small, Asia Program Director, European Council on Foreign Relations
  • Roger Gschwend, Head of the World Trade Division, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Switzerland
  • Birgitte Markussen, Ambassador, Danish Special Representative for the Great Lakes and the Sahel

A EUROPEAN DARPA: DEFENCE AND INNOVATION

KEYNOTE: Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science, Denmark

  • Per de la Gardie, Head of Group Government Affairs, Saab
  • Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO, Terma
  • Lars Frølund, Lecturer, MIT, former EIC Fund Board Member 

FOUR YEARS OF WAR: EUROPE IN A NEW GEOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE

EXPERT OVERVIEW: Jana Kobzova, Co-director of the European Security Programme, European Council on Foreign Relations

KEYNOTES:

  • Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark
  • Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ukraine
  • Natalia Gavrilița, Former Prime Minister, Moldova
  • Pedrag Zenovic, Cheif Negotiator of the Ministry of European Affairs, Montenegro
A EUROPEAN POLICY TO ADDRESS CLIMATE, ENERGY AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
 
KEYNOTE: Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing (testimonial)
 
KEYNOTE: Rachel Kyte, Climate Special Envoy, United Kingdom (Online)
 
  • Eric Grégoire, CEO, Scandlines
  • Gunhild Grieve, CFO, RWE
  • Claes Westerlind, CEO, NKT
  • Sara Vad, Head of Public Affairs, Danfoss
KEYNOTE: Lars Aagaard, Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Denmark
 

OUTLOOK: THE FUTURE OF THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

  • Jim O’Brien, Former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, USA

RECEPTION with welcoming remarks by Jørgen Tang-Jensen, Chair, Board of Think Tank EUROPA

By participating in this event, you consent to photos and video of you being taken. These images may be used by Think tank EUROPA for marketing purposes, in newsletters, on our website (e.g. https://thinkeuropa.dk/en) and on social media to document and promote our work.

If you do not want your images to be published, please inform our photographers at the event or contact us at kontakt@thinkeuropa.dk.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
 
The project is funded by: 

Information om arrangementet

Dato og tid Mandag d. 2. februar 2026 kl. 12:00 til 18:00

Tilmeldingsfrist Mandag d. 2. februar 2026 kl. 09:00

Sted Online

Arrangør

Tænketanken EUROPA
Tlf. +45 33130730
kontakt@thinkeuropa.dk

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