Today, March 20, 2026, the UAP Coalition Netherlands (UAPCNL) celebrates a special anniversary. Exactly two years ago, the historic 'EU UAP Event' took place in the European Parliament. This day, now known as European UAP Day, marked the official start of a coordinated European approach to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).
On 20 March 2024, former MEP Francisco Guerreiro and UAP Coalition Netherlands joined forces for a historic meeting: 'Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) – EU Airspace: Reporting and Scientific Assessment'. The goal was clear: to break the stigma and put UAP on the agenda as a serious issue for aviation safety and scientific research within the European Union.
A historic moment in Brussels
The 2024 meeting brought together a unique mix of policymakers, scientists, and aviation professionals in the European Parliament. Speakers included prominent experts such as Swedish astronomer Dr. Beatriz Villarroel, Italian researcher Edoardo Russo, and former US Navy pilot Ryan Graves.
Our own ambassador and pilot Christiaan van Heijst shared his personal experiences from the cockpit at the time, which underscored the need for an official reporting system. André Jol of UAPCNL also emphasized during the event that transparency and data exchange between EU member states are important to ensure aviation safety. The presence of a representative of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) confirmed that the subject had outgrown its infancy.
The impact of European UAP Day
Much has changed since that memorable day in 2024. At the time, Francisco Guerreiro submitted a motion to amend EU civil aviation regulations so that UAP observations could be reported in a structured and safe manner.
“The event two years ago was the spark that ignited the European debate,” said the Chair of the UAP Coalition Netherlands. “We see that since then, there has been increasing room for a scientific and factual dialogue. Labeling this date as 'European UAP Day' reminds us that we have a responsibility to better understand our airspace.‘
Looking back and looking forward
The success of the event was already evident at the time from the enormous media attention at home and abroad and the many viewers who followed the livestream via YouTube. The event presented by UAPCNL position paper still forms an important foundation for the current discussions with policymakers.
As we reflect on this two-year anniversary today, UAP Coalition Netherlands looks back with pride on what has been achieved, but we also remain vigilant. The path towards transparency and a harmonised European reporting system is still in full swing.
Both UAP Check and EuroUFO wrote an article in the context of European UAP Day. These are here and here to read.
Would you like to relive the highlights of the EU UAP Event 2024? View the extensive retrospective, the presentations, and the video recordings on our dedicated project page: EU UAP Event
Do you find our work important and would you also like to contribute? You can do so by, for example, Contacting your representatives in the European Parliament, or by making a donation .
