Cartagena will host the meeting of the Defence Group of the Committee of the Regions in June and will showcase Caetra's potential to the EU.
Cartagena will host the meeting of the Defence Group of the Committee of the Regions in June and will showcase Caetra's potential to the EU.
The president of the regional government, Fernando López Miras, announced today that Cartagena will host the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions' Working Group on Defense on June 16, precisely "at a crucial moment for charting a roadmap for defense and security in the European Union."
In what will be its fourth meeting since its establishment in April 2025, the working group will meet outside of Brussels for the first time, at the suggestion of Fernando López Miras, who serves as its president.
López Miras proposed Cartagena as the venue for this meeting to showcase the potential of the regional government's Caetra program, which has its hub in Cartagena, and which has attracted interest from other European regions with a view to strengthening the network of companies dedicated to the defense and security sector.
“Presidents of other regions, representatives of the European Parliament, officials from the European Commission, and representatives of the Armed Forces will be present,” announced López Miras, who emphasized that his presidency of this group “is positive for the Region of Murcia, because it positions us within this European defense roadmap, in securing funding, and in the decisions to be made.”
With this meeting, “we want to convey that regions have a significant role to play in the future of European defense. And if we are talking about territories like the Region of Murcia, which have an inseparable link with the Armed Forces, even more so,” stated the president.
The European Committee of the Regions' Working Group on Defense was created to ensure that the local dimension is reflected in EU defense efforts. López Miras was elected president after successfully presenting the opinion “A Strong European Defense Industry,” which proposed contributions to the European Defense Industrial Strategy.
This nine-member group acts as a platform for inter-institutional cooperation with key EU bodies and facilitates the exchange of best practices among its members. Furthermore, it promotes consistency in defense opinions, ensuring that the work of the Committee of the Regions on defense and security contributes strategic value and expertise.