The retreat featured valuable contributions from key officials, including Felix Ronkes Agerbeek, the EU Commission’s Chief Negotiator for EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, and Katalin Szilas, Co-chair of the EU Council Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizens' Rights, and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP). Their insights facilitated an exchange about collaborative efforts to promote human rights and democratic values within the EU-CoE framework.

In the afternoon, the EU Heads of Mission held a productive exchange with Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, to discuss key aspects of the EU-Council of Europe partnership. The participants emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation to address shared challenges and promote long-term goals, particularly in areas like migration, enlargement, and accountability for Russia. They also highlighted how recent crises have deepened EU-Council of Europe unity, reinforcing their joint commitment to democratic values and human rights. The Heads of Mission affirmed that enhancing synergies between the EU and Council of Europe is essential for tackling these priorities effectively across Europe and beyond.

The retreat offered a valuable platform for Heads of Mission to share insights, generate ideas, and discuss the next steps in enhancing coordination and collaboration among EU Permanent Representations to the Council of Europe.