European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Keynote Address by Commissioner Andrius Kubilius at GOVSATCOM Conference: “Strengthening European Security And Defence: The Role Of Secure Connectivity” Luxembourg, 26 February 2026 Strengthening European security and defence: the role of secure connectivity Your Royal Highness, Minister Backes, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Representatives, Ladies and Gentleme...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Keynote Address by Commissioner Andrius Kubilius at GOVSATCOM Conference: “Strengthening European Security And Defence: The Role Of Secure Connectivity” Luxembourg, 26 February 2026 Strengthening European security and defence: the role of secure connectivity Your Royal Highness, Minister Backes, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to address you today at this unique conference. I hear this conference is a colossal success this year, with 1500 people from 50 countries. And I am not surprised, because Luxembourg is a European leader in space. First of all, I would like to thank Luxembourg, and minister Backes, for being at the forefront of our European space efforts. Thank you for responding to our call to make your military satellite capability available – to ensure resilient connectivity in Europe and for Europe. And I am glad to be able to speak to all of you, who have come here to exchange on connectivity. I just want to say: You are doing a great job, a very important job. Without secure connectivity there is no defence. And without you there is no secure connectivity. Europe depends on you to defend ourselves and deter aggression. I was in Ukraine two days ago to remember four years of war. So think back four years and how it all began: with an attack on connectivity, on a commercial satellite communications network. Satellite communications are already decisive today. But in the near future they will constitute the alpha and omega - both in civil security and modern warfare. And on the interconnected battlefield of the future, where Internet revolution, AI revolution and space revolution will meet. In a more and more digital society, connectivity is a vital, strategic resource. For security critical applications, we need strong and reliable connections that work everywhere, all the time. In a world of huge geopolitical changes, we are on a quest for strategic autonomy. And satellite connectivity is an imperative ingredient of this quest. And time is of absolute essence so that Europe is neither outpaced nor outscaled. More and more European leaders are calling for European independence in defence, and European responsibility for defence. Recently at the Munich Security Conference: French President Macron, German Chancellor Merz, British Prime Minister Starmer, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and many more. Not to duplicate NATO. But to make NATO stronger by making Europe stronger. And as a priority: we must have our own European strategic enablers. Strategic enablers are not the weapons themselves, but the capabilities that help our military to do their job. Like air-to-air refuelling or deep strike capabilities. And today's most important strategic enablers are based in space. Like satellite communications, bringing global connectivity: fast, reliable, secure; allowing operations across vast distances, across oceans and in remote locations. Or Earth Observation Governmental Service for geo-inteligence data. No Member State alone can build a full scale capacity to protect a continent. But together as a Union we can. We can avoid duplication and improve cooperation. We can punch well above our weight, work on a European scale and have colossal capabilities at our disposal. Together as a Union, we are giants in space. The fundamental truth of modern European security is that we must deter together, defend together, if need be fight together. And we are delivering. Govsatcom demonstrates the political will of Member States with satellite capabilities to work together to support Europe's strategic autonomy, providing secure, resilient and cost-efficient satellite capabilities. Govsatcom is European solidarity in practice. We ended the division between “haves” and “have nots” in secure satellite communications. Thanks to the European Union, Member States with the capacity for encrypted satellite communications now pool that capacity. And share it with the other Member States, EU institutions and EU agencies. And so all of Europe will be safer. Authorities can use these secure communications to keep us safe - police, coast guard, military, for: security and defence missions, crisis management, to deal with natural disasters, humanitarian disasters, to save lives at sea. But also for surveillance: to protect the border, to counter trafficking, and monitor suspicious ships, to mention only a few examples. Govsatcom starting operations is extremely timely: According to media reports, Russian Luch 1 and Luch 2 satellites have in the past three years performed suspicious proximity operations. Near European satellites, where they could steal unencrypted data. These reports show just how important is to make sure our sensitive data is secure. In operational terms: as a first step Govsatcom started operations in January. That's already significantly improved access to sovereign satellite communication for all EU Member States. A first request has already been received! Secondly, by 2027 we will expand Govsatcom services with commercial satcom services. Which will provide additional coverage and security. And will allow common procurement of satellite communication resources that are critical for both military and civil applications. We have created the possibilities, we now have a collective responsibility to make it happen. I count on our partners in industry to deliver. At the same time, we are working full speed to deliver IRIS2 - our secure European connectivity system. Full European connectivity. A sovereign digital backbone. That will enable EU militaries to communicate and coordinate seamlessly through a pan-European secure satellite network. In January we achieved a key milestone: Bringing into use the Ka military frequencies, showing we are serious and confident about IRIS². I am fully committed to deliver the first simplified version of the IRIS² system by 2029, and the full system soon after, in line with our goal to achieve defence readiness by 2030. And on this occasion, let me say a big thank you to our industrial partners who are delivering IRIS²: The Space Rise consortium, and SES from Luxembourg leading the consortium. Thank you for your relentless efforts to deliver this crucial connectivity capability. The goal: connectivity and sovereignty for all of Europe, guaranteed access for all Member States, under full European control. Space is crucial for our defence and strategic autonomy. Our citizens agree. According to the latest Eurobarometer poll: over half of Europeans say security and defence should be a priority for our European space policy. The EU has built a unique space infrastructure of hundreds of satellites, Galileo, Copernicus, and IRIS². And we are working on more dual use capabilities that can be used for our security and defence, for space-based geointelligence, for positioning navigation and timing resistant to interference, for secure connectivity. To defend space assets and defend Europe with space: Defence of space, and space for defence. We will soon present an action plan for a European Space Shield. To use space for preparedness and defence readiness, aiming for delivery already next year, in 2027 The Space Shield will be defined and carefully coordinated with Member States. The EU's role is to support and complement national defence efforts, not to replace them. Working together will reduce redundancies, reduce costs, and ensure interoperability. The Space Shield will set a framework for coordination and will offer EU added value to defence. We will use our space systems to support Member States to integrate space-based services into their defence, to strengthen our collective security and economy. Our EU space systems directly support our defence readiness. But to have these systems in place, we must make space transportation a top priority. Just recently: the launch of the Ariane 6-4 rocket. It's four big boosters are also giving a big boost to our independent European access to space. Now we need to take launching to the next level: more frequent launches. The ability to: re-use, respond and return. Launchers that can be used again, and again, and again. Space will be key not only for the space shield, but for all our defence plans that we propose for our defence. Big pan-European projects: to protect the eastern border; projects on drones, missiles and air defence. And none of them is possible without space. Finally, there is no autonomy without European competitiveness. And space is crucial for our European competitiveness. European space industry, big and small, will play a fundamental and positive role. A source for growth and jobs. Attracting talent and stimulating innovation. Reaping the benefits of the fast growing space economy. Ladies and Gentlemen, In conclusion - I thank all of you for what you are doing. A special thank you to all of you who came here from outside the European Union. Our strategic partnerships with like minded partners are very important to us. I said we are on a quest to equip our Union with connectivity capabilities, to ensure our strategic autonomy and protect our values. A quest to connect our union to protect our union. I warmly thank Luxembourg and our industry partners: Thank you for being companions in this quest from the start! Now let's together fulfil this quest and achieve our important mission! SPEECH/26/479
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