New Research Paper: Integrating Artificial Intelligence in EU Civilian CSDP Missions

New Research Paper: Integrating Artificial Intelligence in EU Civilian CSDP Missions

24. 6. 2026 | EUTI, PR

Within the European Union Training Initiative (EUTI), a new research paper exploring the opportunities, structural risks, and regulatory implications of embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) into EU Civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions has been published.

Drafted by Dr. Francesco Paolo Levantino and Dr. Marta Stroppa from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (SSSA) within the framework of the EUTI Working Group on Innovation, the paper aims to contribute to current discussions on the responsible, effective, and human rights-compliant use of AI in civilian crisis management, in line with relevant EU and international legal and policy frameworks.

Shifting from Reactive to Anticipatory Crisis Management

As geopolitical instability, hybrid threats, and human rights violations intensify globally, civilian crisis management faces operational pressure. The paper outlines how AI systems can support a transition from reactive responses to a more proactive and adaptive framework.

Some of the insights from the Paper:

  • The authors examine how Generative AI (GenAI) can move training beyond generic case studies. By utilizing frameworks like the BOPPPS model, instructors can leverage AI to instantly build role-specific scenario “injections”.
  • Across the live mission lifecycle, AI can significantly improve situational awareness through satellite imagery and computer vision, reduce cognitive overload for human decision-makers, and optimize smart logistics or personnel matching.
  • A core focus of the analysis is dedicated to technical limitations. The paper notes that fragile crisis environments often suffer from incomplete or biased datasets, warning that uncritical reliance on AI can trigger automation bias, deskilling, or create contextually plausible but factually flawed hallucinations.
  • The integration of technological innovation must not occur in a normative vacuum. The paper highlights that under the EU AI Act, systems used to evaluate learning outcomes or guide vocational pathways in training environments are classified as High-Risk, legally mandating strict human oversight, logging, and data governance.

Actionable Recommendations

The publication concludes with seven foundational benchmarks aimed at guiding the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CivOpsHQ), and member states as they design official official EU operational strategies:

  1. Embed AI initiatives logically within existing CSDP training and operational policies.
  2. Utilize the EU AI Act, GDPR, and EUDPR as strict baseline quality benchmarks even where their direct application isn’t strictly mandatory.
  3. Conduct thorough, use-case-specific impact assessments (such as Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments) prior to any deployment.
  4. Prioritize comprehensive AI literacy across all personnel lines to preserve and reinforce meaningful human judgment over automated systems.

Read the full paper to explore the complete findings and policy recommendations:

 

Read here
EDDE Concludes Four-Day Workshop on Centering Citizens in a Secure Digital Society

EDDE Concludes Four-Day Workshop on Centering Citizens in a Secure Digital Society

16. 6. 2026 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR

The Centre for European Perspective concluded the four-day European Digital Diplomacy Exchange workshop “Centering Citizens in a Secure Digital Society,” held from June 9–12 in Durrës, Albania. The workshop convened more than 50 participants and speakers from 20 countries across Europe and the United States to examine how public sector adoption of emerging digital technologies can center citizens in democratic processes that bolster social productivity, public trust, and national resilience.

The conference brought together mid- and high-level government communications officials, private technology sector representatives, security experts, media figures, and academic thought leaders to discuss how governments can best empower citizens with the critical political, social, and cultural information necessary to protect national information sovereignty and counter foreign propaganda. These capacities are integral to ensuring that citizens can participate productively in the information economies that increasingly shape their nation’s future.

Across four days, participants engaged in lectures, structured discussions, and hands-on activities that bridged the theory and practice of strategic communications. The workshop emphasized how governments can fulfill their role as strong stewards and facilitators of public information and public discourse, while adapting their communication practices to the norms, values, and behaviors of the digital information environment through which citizens increasingly access, assess, and engage with public information.

The programme began with opening remarks by Nancy VanHorn, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, and Jakob Štunf, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Albania. The first day focused on digital public affairs, public diplomacy, information sovereignty, citizen engagement, and trust in democratic governance, with sessions led by EDDE organizers Matt Jacobs and Ingrid Omahna, Professor Nicholas Cull of the University of Southern California, and Professor Dejan Verčič of the University of Ljubljana.

The following sessions moved from strategic foundations to practical application. Professor Cull explored the value of national brand and reputational security through “Building Brand Affinity with a National Selfie,” while Celeste Sepessy led participants through “Policy Storytelling,” examining how government communicators can transform abstract policy positions into narratives that speak more directly to citizens’ needs, values, and lived experiences.

The workshop also focused on refining digital strategic communications through audience segmentation, multimedia, and emerging technologies. Celeste Sepessy introduced demographic and psychographic approaches to audience analysis, Magdalena Mactas, Senior Advisor at UNICEF and Founder of MAG Agency, explored how multimedia can make policy narratives more accessible, evocative, memorable, and persuasive, and Oskar Braszczyński, Government and Politics Partner at Meta, addressed the opportunities and challenges of emerging AI tools for public sector institutions.

The final day focused on how proactive, credible, and citizen-centered strategic communications can serve as a national security asset by helping public institutions build resilience against foreign adversarial information activities. In a session led by Steven Hardy and Sabrina Spieleder from NATO’s Office of Strategic Communications, participants examined how foreign adversarial propaganda threatens national security by undermining national information sovereignty, weakening the voices of citizens, and impacting relationships between representative governments and their public. The session also explored processes and practices for identifying and countering foreign informational manipulation and interference, both by individual countries and by collective partners working toward shared objectives.

Throughout the workshop, participants applied the lessons from each session through practical activities, including account analysis, audience segmentation, policy storytelling, multimedia planning, and group discussions on the responsible integration of emerging technologies. These activities supported EDDE’s broader capacity-building approach: helping public institutions develop the strategic communications capacities necessary to ensure citizens are informed, empowered, and able to participate productively in democratic life.

By convening practitioners from across sectors and across national borders, EDDE continues to bolster a vital platform for cooperation and collaboration. The workshop reinforced the importance of ensuring that governments, industry, media, academia, and security experts are collectively engaged in addressing challenges in the information space that continue to pose a threat to national sovereignty, national security, and national social resilience.

The Centre for European Perspective oversees and implements the European Digital Diplomacy Exchange project. Activities are supported and funded by the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, within the scope of the Development Cooperation and Aid programme.

 

1st Regional Roundtable on UN Peace Operations

1st Regional Roundtable on UN Peace Operations

12. 6. 2026 | POTC, PR

“The First Central, Eastern Europe and the Balkans Roundtable on UN Peace Operations: Regional Perspectives on Strengthening Support and Advancing the Role of Training Centres” (hereinafter referred to as the Regional Roundtable on UN Peace Operations) took place at Jable Castle on 9 June.  

This international intergovernmental event focused on the future of regional engagement in United Nations peace operations. It was organised by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and the Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC), in cooperation with the Light Coordination Mechanism (LCM) in the Integrated Training Service (ITS) of the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO).   

With this event, Slovenia initiated a regional process, expanded in a “regional-plus” format, aimed at fostering regional cooperation in peace operations, developing the role of training centres, and strengthening cooperation with the UN and partner institutions. The event brought together representatives of participating regional Member States, observer Member States with speaking roles, the United Nations, partner institutions, and academia with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation, improving operational preparedness, and developing capabilities and training, including the evolving role of peacekeeping training centres. Peace operations are a key tool for conflict prevention, civilian protection, and post-conflict stabilisation.  

As the first meeting of its kind in the region, the event also followed the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin and recent mission developments, including  the upcoming closure of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) at the end of 2026, the event provided a timely platform to reflect on future priorities and lessons learned. Peace operations remain one of the most important tools of the international community for conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, and post-conflict stabilisation, but require continuous adaptation. They involve military, police, and civilian units that monitor ceasefires, protect civilians, and assist in rebuilding institutions and the rule of law. They reduce violence, prevent the spillover of conflicts, and create the necessary conditions for long-term peace and development.   

To ensure the successful and effective implementation of peace operations, countries must provide sufficient personnel, material, and financial resources, which remains an ever-present challenge in planning and executing these operations. Despite the current focus of many European nations on the war in Ukraine and their commitments within NATO, alongside Slovenia’s active participation in EU CSDP missions and operations, maintaining readiness and participating in United Nations peace operations remain a vital dimension of Slovenia’s approach to international security cooperation and multilateral crisis management.  

Countries in the region, including Slovenia, regularly face considerations regarding which UN missions to participate in, in what manner, with which units, and what or how much to contribute.  During its mandate as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2024–2025), Slovenia actively contributed to discussions on the future of peace operations.  

Regional cooperation and the key role of training centres 

As emphasised by mag. Aljoša Selan, Acting Director General of the Defence Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, future peacekeepers will require competencies that extend beyond traditional military skills. They will need to operate in complex information environments, understand emerging technologies, support the protection of civilians, engage with local populations, and contribute to integrated approaches involving military, police, and civilian actors. Training institutions, such as the Slovenian POTC, which was co-established, and is co-funded, and co-managed by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and the Ministry of Interior of Slovenia, and operates within the Center for European Perspective, therefore play a particularly important role in ensuring that personnel remain prepared for future operational requirements. 

Strengthening training, education, and professional networks is the primary answer to maintaining readiness, expertise, and influence during a period when traditional operational opportunities are becoming less frequent.  Furthermore, the Slovenian representative, Mr Selan, stressed that Slovenia does not see regional cooperation as an option, but as a necessity. It should develop along three main lines: first, closer links between peace operations training centres; second, joint training activities, exercises, and personnel exchanges; and third, a more coordinated regional approach within the United Nations system.   

The Head of POTC, Samo Selimović, added that when connecting these centres, this refers to highly concrete forms of interstate cooperation. This includes trainer exchanges, opening training courses to personnel from other nations, and the collaboration of centres in preserving and transferring skills, knowledge, and practical experience from complex missions, such as UNIFIL. 

Overall, the roundtable participants agreed that regional cooperation should primarily focus on fostering information sharing and lessons learned (e.g. from MINUSMA and UNIFIL), while also building partnerships on peacekeeping training, capacity building, and co-deployments. They emphasized that UN peacekeeping must be adaptable, shifting toward flexible, scalable models that rely on interoperability and preparedness. They also highlighted the importance of realistic mandates, noting that overbroad or unfunded “Christmas tree mandates” present a serious issue. At the same time, they concluded that investment in training is one of the most cost-effective forms of support to UN peace operations, as maintaining readiness today is less costly than rebuilding capabilities tomorrow.  

 

Regionalna okrogla miza o mirovnih operacijah Združenih narodov (ZN)

Regionalna okrogla miza o mirovnih operacijah Združenih narodov (ZN)

11. 6. 2026 | POTC, PR

Regionalna okrogla miza o mirovnih operacijah Združenih narodov (9. junij 2026)

Click here to read this article in English.

Včeraj, 9. junija, je na Gradu Jable potekala „Prva okrogla miza držav Srednje in Vzhodne Evrope ter Balkana o mirovnih operacijah Združenih narodov“ (v nadaljevanju: Regionalna okrogla miza o mirovnih operacijah Združenih narodov). Dogodek je mednarodno srečanje, osredotočeno na prihodnost sodelovanja držav v mirovnih operacijah Združenih narodov, ki sta ga organizirata Ministrstvo za obrambo Republike Slovenije in Center za izobraževanje in usposabljanje za sodelovanje v mirovnih operacijah in misijah (POTC) v sodelovanju s koordinacijskim mehanizmom LCM.

S tem dogodkom je bila Slovenija začetnica regionalnega procesa katerega namen je spodbuditi regionalno sodelovanje v mirovnih operacijah, razvijati vlogo centrov za usposabljanje ter krepiti sodelovanje z OZN in partnerskimi institucijami. Dogodek je združil predstavnike regionalnih držav, mednarodnih organizacij in izobraževalnih institucij z namenom krepitve regionalnega sodelovanja, izboljšanja operativne pripravljenosti ter razvoja zmogljivosti in usposabljanj, vključno z razvijajočo se vlogo centrov za usposabljanje za mirovne operacije.

Mirovne operacije so ključno orodje za preprečevanje konfliktov, zaščito civilistov in stabilizacijo po krizah

Kot prvo srečanje v regiji po ministrskem srečanju držav članic OZN o ohranjanju miru v Berlinu leta 2025 in ob nedavnih spremembah v misijah, kot je mirovna misija ZN na jugu Libanona (UNIFIL), je bil dogodek priložnost za razmislek o prihodnjih usmeritvah in pridobljenih izkušnjah. Mirovne operacije ostajajo ključno orodje za preprečevanje konfliktov, zaščito civilistov in stabilizacijo po krizah, vendar zahtevajo stalno prilagajanje. Vključujejo vojaške, policijske in civilne enote, ki nadzorujejo premirja, varujejo civiliste ter pomagajo pri obnovi institucij in pravne države. Zmanjšujejo nasilje, preprečujejo širitev konfliktov in ustvarjajo pogoje za dolgoročni mir in razvoj.

Za uspešno in učinkovito izvajanje mirovnih operacij morajo države zagotoviti zadostna kadrovska, materialna in finančna sredstva, kar je vedno prisotna težava pri načrtovanju in izvajanju teh operacij. Kljub trenutni osredotočenosti številnih evropskih držav na vojno v Ukrajini in na zaveze v okviru Nata ter aktivnemu sodelovanju Slovenije v misijah in operacijah SVOP EU, ohranjanje pripravljenosti in sodelovanje v mirovnih operacijah Združenih narodov ostajata pomembna dimenzija mednarodnega varnostnega sodelovanja in multilateralnega kriznega upravljanja.

Države iz regije, vključno s Slovenijo, se redno soočajo z razmisleki, v katerih misijah OZN sodelovati, na kakšen način, s katerimi enotami ter kaj in koliko prispevati. V času mandata v Varnostnem svetu OZN (2024–2025) je Slovenija dejavno prispevala k razpravam o prihodnosti mirovnih operacij. Na podlagi tega sodelovanja Ministrstvo za obrambo RS v sodelovanju s POTC organiziralo okroglo mizo v razširjenem „regionalnem-plus“ formatu, ki je vključevala države iz regije, pomembne partnerje ter relevantna telesa OZN.

Regionalno sodelovanje in ključna vloga centrov za usposabljanje

Kot je poudaril mag. Aljoša Selan, vršilec dolžnosti generalnega direktorja Direktorata za obrambno politiko na Ministrstvu za obrambo RS, bodo bodoči mirovniki potrebovali kompetence, ki presegajo tradicionalne vojaške veščine. Delovati bodo morali v kompleksnih informacijskih okoljih, razumeti sodobne tehnologije, podpirati zaščito civilnega prebivalstva, sodelovati z lokalnim prebivalstvom ter prispevati k celostnim pristopom, ki vključujejo vojaške, policijske in civilne akterje.

Centri za usposabljanje, kot je slovenski POTC, ki so ga soustanovili Ministrstvo za obrambo, Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve ter Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve in deluje v okviru Centra za evropsko prihodnost, imajo zato še posebej pomembno vlogo pri zagotavljanju, da kadri ostanejo pripravljeni na prihodnje operativne zahteve. Krepitev usposabljanja, izobraževanja in profesionalnih mrež je glavni odgovor na ohranjanje pripravljenosti, strokovnosti in vpliva v obdobju, ko so tradicionalne operativne priložnosti vse redkejše.

Nadalje je slovenski predstavnik Selan poudaril, da Slovenija regionalnega sodelovanja ne vidi kot možnosti, temveč kot nujnost. Razvijati bi se moralo v treh glavnih smereh: prva so tesnejše povezave med centri za usposabljanje za mirovne operacije, druga so skupne aktivnosti usposabljanja, vaje in izmenjave osebja, tretja pa bolj usklajen regionalni pristop znotraj sistema Združenih narodov.

Vodja POTC Samo Selimović je dodal, da pri povezovanju centrov govorijo o zelo konkretnih oblikah sodelovanja med državami, kot so izmenjave inštruktorjev za usposabljanja, odpiranje usposabljanj za pripadnike drugih držav in pa sodelovanju centrov pri ohranjanju in prenosu veščin, znanja in izkušenj iz kompleksnih misij, kot je npr. UNIFIL.

Udeleženci okrogle mize so se strinjali, da regionalno sodelovanje pomeni predvsem spodbujanje izmenjave informacij in pridobljenih izkušenj (npr. iz misij MINUSMA in UNIFIL), ob sočasnem oblikovanju partnerstev na področju usposabljanja za mirovne operacije, krepitve zmogljivosti ter skupnih napotitev. Poudarili so, da morajo biti mirovne operacije Združenih narodov prilagodljive, kar zahteva prehod na fleksibilne modele, ki temeljijo na interoperabilnosti in pripravljenosti. Izpostavili so tudi pomen realističnih mandatov, saj so preširoki ali nefinancirani mandati, tako imenovani »mandati božičnih drevesc«, težavni. Ob tem so sklenili, da je vlaganje v usposabljanje ena stroškovno najbolj učinkovitih oblik podpore mirovnim operacijam ZN, saj je ohranjanje pripravljenosti danes bistveno cenejše od vzpostavljanja zmogljivosti jutri.

Za več informacij o usposabljanju in še več nas lahko spremljate na družbenih omrežjih:

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Webinar on the Standard Operational Procedure for Financial Investigations

Webinar on the Standard Operational Procedure for Financial Investigations

11. 6. 2026 | Montenegro - finance, PR

A productive Webinar on the Standard Operational Procedure for Financial Investigations 

Within the framework of the project “Strengthening Capacities in the Field of Financial Investigations in Montenegro (2025–2026)”, a dedicated webinar on the subject of developing and writing the Standard Operational Procedure for Financial Investigations (SOP) took place on June 10th, 2026. 

The webinar provided the opportunity for members of the SOP Working Group of the Police Directorate of Montenegro to discuss with Sloevnian experts in financial investigations the core elements of an operational, practical and easy to understand SOP that will be suitable for wider use by the Montenegro Police. A lively discussion and exchange of views, suggestions, practical challenges resulted in insights and recommendations that will be taken forward in the process of developing the SOP. Participants also agreed on the roles and responsibilities and next steps in the process of writing the SOP. The final version of the SOP document is expected to be submitted to the Police Directorate of Montenegro by the end of 2026. 

 

The project “Strengthening capacities in the field of financial investigations in Montenegro (2025/2026)” is implemented with the support of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships Programme, in cooperation with the Slovenian Police and the Slovenian Ministry of Interior. 

More information about the project Strengthening Capacities in the Field of Financial Investigations in Montenegro
Conclusion of the Cluster visit on Local Economic Development

Conclusion of the Cluster visit on Local Economic Development

9. 6. 2026 | PR, Ukraine

The Cluster Visit – Strengthening Municipal Capacity for Local Economic Development in Slovenia has come to a close on Friday, 5 June 2026.

From entrepreneurship support and regional development to municipal cooperation and innovation ecosystems, the past nine days have demonstrated the power of knowledge exchange in shaping stronger local communities.

Representatives of Ukrainian municipalities and regional development institutions have successfully completed a study visit across Slovenia, exploring practical approaches to local economic development, regional growth, and municipal capacity building.

Throughout the programme, participants gained first-hand insight into Slovenia’s approach to regional development, business support systems, municipal cooperation, and the implementation of national development policies at the local level. The delegation engaged with representatives of ministries, regional development agencies, municipalities, business support organisations, and development experts from across the country.

The programme included visits to the Ljubljana University Incubator, SPIRIT Slovenia, the Slovenian Regional Development Fund, the Regional Development Agency of Koroška, the UNESCO Global Geopark Karavanke, the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, the Regional Development Agency Podravje, Venture Factory, and the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region.

Participants also met with mayors and municipal representatives from several Slovenian regions, gaining valuable insights into local governance, intermunicipal cooperation, investment promotion, and community-led development.

Through workshops, field visits, and discussions, participants explored topics such as entrepreneurship support infrastructure, project preparation and management, EU cohesion policy, cross-border cooperation, circular economy initiatives, SME support mechanisms, innovation ecosystems, and tools for strengthening local resilience.

The programme also provided a platform for Ukrainian participants to present their own experiences, challenges, and development priorities, fostering meaningful peer-to-peer exchange and identifying opportunities for future cooperation.

The concluding session focused on reflecting on lessons learned, identifying Slovenian practices that could be adapted to the Ukrainian context, and discussing practical next steps for strengthening local and regional development capacities.

The programme concluded with closing remarks by His Excellency Petro Beshta, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Slovenia, who highlighted the importance of international partnerships, knowledge exchange, and continued support for Ukrainian municipalities and regions as they work towards sustainable development, resilience, and recovery.

A sincere thank you to all institutions, experts, speakers, municipal representatives, and participants whose engagement and contributions made this programme possible. Together, they helped strengthen the foundations for future cooperation between Slovenia and Ukraine and demonstrated the value of learning from one another’s experiences.

 

This programme was prepared in cooperation with U-LEAD with Europe and implemented in partnership between Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development of Republic of Slovenia and Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.

This programme is supported by Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through the Slovenian Aid and Partneships programme.

Photo album of the Cluster visit
More about Recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine programme