On 18 May took place the International Conference Hybrid Threats in a European Security Context, event promoted by the Portuguese National Defence College and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the aegis of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU and with the participation of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Based on the assumption that the conventional security paradigm is mutating towards a hybrid, diffuse, fluid panorama, in which Hybrid Threats have consequences yet to be assessed, this Conference included in its panels policy makers, researchers and think tanks. The very concept of Hybrid Threats, their multidimensionality, the opportunity for cooperation and the need for resilience were explored. Disruptive technologies and the fundamental role of education in creating resilience in a broad sense, to be seen as a long-term investment, were also discussed. Malicious actors benefit from speed of action, whereas within the EU and Member States decision-making processes tend to be slow, and it is necessary to strengthen analytical capacity to anticipate and make intervention more flexible. The importance of Civilian CSDP missions as an opportunity to build resilience on the ground was focused on, with the aim of more flexible mandates, allowing action to be adjusted with the necessary flexibility on the ground, so that these missions become strategically adaptive.