The meeting, held at the very beginning of the Croatian Presidency, will be an opportunity to exchange opinions on the latest achievements of the EU efforts in the area of defence.

The Defence Policy Directors (DPD) will discuss the Union's activities under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) with an emphasis on the current defence initiatives such as the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), military mobility and EU-NATO cooperation. The meeting will also serve as a preparation for the Informal Meeting of EU Defence Ministers that will be held in Zagreb in March.

Beside the DPDs, representatives from EU institutions such as the European Commission, the EU Military Staff (EUMS), the European Defence Agency (EDA), the Politico-Military Group (PMG) and the Council Secretariat. Depending on agenda NATO and UN representatives will also be invited. The meeting will be chaired by the EEAS Deputy Secretary General for CSDP.