The European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL) held its 130th General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary, hosted by member association HÉSZ. EUROMIL President, Emmanuel Jacob, opened the conference by welcoming representatives from across Europe and emphasizing the significant geopolitical challenges currently facing the continent, along key developments at the European Union level; as the composition of the upcoming European Commission especially focusing on the current and upcoming defence initiatives to boost Europe’s military capabilities and interoperability.

A dedicated panel discussion on issues related to recruitment, retention, and conscription in European Armed Forces took place. During the session, Emmanuel Jacob presented findings from EUROMIL’s latest survey on the topic, underscoring the need to attract young people to military careers by fostering an engaging and supportive work environment. The panel also featured a presentation by Cornelius Wiesener, Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Law Faculty, who analysed conscription in Europe, focusing on compulsory service models and strategies to enhance motivation through added benefits and alternative service options. EUROMIL board member, George Zgardanas, moderated the session, offering insights into Greece’s current conscription policies.

The General Assembly also addressed core administrative and membership matters, including the approval of a resolution on protecting UN-deployed troops. EUROMIL members unanimously welcomed AUGC (Spain), SPAL (Luxembourg), and RDFRA (Ireland) as full members, while extending observer status to APNM UNION (France) and introducing S.I.A.M.O Esercito (Italy) as a new observer.

Throughout the General Assembly, delegates presented national reports and shared views on issues of common concern, including personnel equipment, the application of the Working Time Directive (WTD) within the Armed Forces, salary considerations, and veteran affairs. Recruitment and retention remained central topic of the discussions, with members exchanging strategies to improve these areas.

The day concluded at 16:40, and members will meet again in Brussels (Belgium) in May 2025 for the 131st General Assembly meeting.

A video prepared by the Hungarian military press can be watched here.