September 2011
The EU’s Common
Security and Defense Policy
Contributing to Peace and Security Worldwide
eufacts
Decision-making procedures
surrounding the EU’s Common
Foreign and Security Policy are
intergovernmental. Decisions
in this area are reached by
consensus, although individual
countries can abstain.
In the European Union, the authority to make decisions on foreign and security policy remains with governments of the individual EU Member States. However, the 27 countries of the EU speak and act as one
in several important areas through what is known as
the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
observers to monitor the situation. And in December
2008, the EU launched its first maritime operation to
protect ships from pirates along the Somali coast.
One major component of the Common Foreign and
Security Policy, the Common Security and Defense
Policy (CSDP), empowers the EU to respond proactively to international crises through a broad mix of
civilian and military crisis management and conflict
prevention operations.
Through the Common Security and Defense Policy,
the EU meets international security challenges by
sharing civilian expertise in areas such as policing,
the rule of law, and civilian administration, as well as
through “boots on the ground” military operations
that help secure and stabilize post-conflict areas and
fragile states.
While not always making headlines, the EU’s CSDP
operations steadfastly stem violence, secure the peace,
support the rule of law, contribute to humanitarian
missions, and in ways large and small bolster the ability of fragile states to sustain functioning democratic
institutions.
inside
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CSDP Crisis
Management at Work:
Three Continents,
24 Operations,
and Counting
4 Military and Civilian
Capabilities for
Crisis Management
Since 1999, the EU has dispatched peacekeeping missions to several of the world’s hot spots. The first EU
military missions took place in the Balkans, where the
EU assumed command of the military stabilization
force in Bosnia and Herzegovina and helped preserve
the peace in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Since then, CSDP operations have stretched across
three continents, from south Asia to the Middle East
and Africa to eastern Europe. A rule of law mission
began in 2005 in Iraq; a police mission has been in
Afghanistan since 2007.
In early 2008, an EU military force of more than 3,000
troops was stationed in border areas of Chad and the
Central African Republic to protect refugees displaced
by fighting in the neighboring Darfur region of Sudan.
In August 2008, the EU brokered a ceasefire to end the
fighting between Georgia and Russia and deployed EU
EUFOR Tchad/RCA
EU Foreign Policy, Security, and
Defense after the Lisbon Treaty
The Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force
in December 2009, expanded the scope of CSDP
operations to include joint disarmament operations, the provision of military advice and assistance, and a contribution to the fight against terrorism, in addition to traditional humanitarian
and relief work, peacekeeping and post-conflict
stabilization, and the use of combat forces in crisis management.
The Treaty of Lisbon also introduced “enhanced
cooperation.” If at least nine Member States are
willing, they can deepen their cooperation in
the field of military crisis management following the unanimous approval of the Council of
the EU. A second measure, “permanent structured cooperation,” provides for a flexible and
permanent defense mechanism that does not
require a minimum number of participating
countries to proceed, and within which the European Defense Agency plays a key role.
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CSDP Crisis Management
at Work: Three Continents,
24 Operations, and Counting
The EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy
has been operational since 2003, when the Union
launched its first civilian mission—the ongoing EU
Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina—and deployed its first military operation—Concordia—to
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. To date,
24 CSDP operations have taken place on three continents, typically in support of United Nations or NATO
crisis management objectives in the areas of peacekeeping, monitoring, and conflict prevention.
Civilian crisis management operations help support
fragile states by ensuring the functioning and legitimacy of government and its institutions, with a particular emphasis on police and security management, the
rule of law, civilian administration, civil protection,
and monitoring. Such assistance helps states recover
enough to deliver a secure and safe environment; a
reliable, trustworthy police force, judiciary, and penal
system; and a competent government administration.
EUPOL Afghanistan. The EU Police Mission (EUPOL)
in Afghanistan is an important element of the international community’s efforts to support the Afghan people as they take responsibility for law and order within
their country. Since 2007, EUPOL Afghanistan has
supported the development of sustainable and effective civil policing arrangements that ensure appropriate interaction with the wider criminal justice system.
EUPOL Afghanistan has developed and implemented
125 different training programs delivered to more
than 11,000 police officers. The EU has also allocated
€15 million for the construction of the Kabul Staff
College and a regional police training center in Bamyan.
EUJUST LEX Iraq. In Iraq, the EU helps strengthen
the rule of law and promote respect for human rights
by providing professional development opportunities
for senior Iraqi officials from the country’s criminal
justice system. Launched in 2005, EUJUST LEX Iraq
is the EU’s first integrated rule of law mission and is
scheduled to last until June 2012.
As of April 2011, more than 4,000 Iraqi investigators,
judges, and senior police and prison officials had participated in 134 integrated and specialized training
programs and 24 practical work experiences in EU
countries. An additional 40 training activities in Iraq
have benefited more than 1,200 trainees.
EULEX Kosovo. In 2008, the EU launched the largest
civilian crisis management mission in its history—
a rule of law mission that helps Kosovo authorities
develop an independent and multi-ethnic justice
system and police and customs services, and ensure
that these institutions are free from political interference and corruption. Fully deployed, EULEX includes
nearly 2,000 international police officers, judges,
prosecutors, and customs officials supported by 1,200
local staff. The mission’s mandate has been extended
through mid-2012.
Military crisis management operations have helped
secure and stabilize conflict zones in the Western
Balkans and parts of Africa. EUFOR Concordia and
EUFOR Althea have helped deter conflict and maintain the peace negotiated in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively; additional CSDP military operations have
supported United Nations efforts to stabilize conditions in DR Congo, Darfur/Sudan, and Chad/Central
African Republic. EU operations have also supported
African Union efforts.
EUFOR Althea. Launched in December 2004 when it
took over from NATO forces, the EU’s longest-running military operation ensures compliance with the
1995 Dayton Peace Accords, deters future conflict,
and enhances security and public safety in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Along with its police counterpart, Operation Althea is
an important part of the EU’s comprehensive effort to
help Bosnia and Herzegovina accomplish the political reforms necessary to progress toward eventual EU
membership.
EUNAVFOR Atalanta:
SPS Numancia and
HLNMS Evertsen
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EUNAVFOR Atalanta. The EU’s first-ever naval operation helps deter, prevent, and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas. Operation
Atalanta protects vulnerable vessels cruising off the
Somali coast, including merchant ships and World
Food Program vessels delivering food aid to displaced
persons in Somalia. Military personnel involved in the
operation can arrest, detain, and transfer persons who
Overview of the missions and operations of the European Union June 2011
Civilian missions: ongoing/completed
Military operations: ongoing/completed
EUFOR ALTHEA
EUPOL PROXIMA
Bosnia & Herzegovina,
since 2004
Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia (FYROM), 2004-2005
EUPAT
EUPM
EUBAM
Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia (FYROM), 2006
Bosnia & Herzegovina,
since 2003
Moldova and Ukraine,
EUJUST THEMIS
Georgia, 2004-2005
EULEX KOSOVO
Since 2008
EUMM GEORGIA
Since 2008
CONCORDIA
Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia (FYROM), 2003
EUPOL AFGHANISTAN
EUPOL COPPS
Policing mission, since 2007
Palestinian territories, since 2006
EU SSR Guinea Bissau
2008-2010
EUJUST LEX
EUBAM Rafah
Iraq/Brussels, since 2005
Palestinian territories, since 2005
Support to AMIS II
Sudan/Darfur,
2005-2006
EUFOR Tchad/RCA
2008-2009
EUNAVFOR ATALANTA
ARTEMIS
have committed—or are suspected of having committed—acts of piracy or armed robbery; they can
also seize pirate vessels and ships captured by pirates,
along with the goods on board.
More than 20 vessels and aircraft participate in Operation Atalanta, which launched in 2008 and will continue through 2012. The European naval force operates in a zone comprising the south of the Red Sea,
the Gulf of Aden, and part of the Indian Ocean—an
area comparable in size to the Mediterranean Sea.
Operation Atalanta remains in constant contact with
the other naval forces in the region.
EUNAVFOR Atalanta has had a significant impact:
incidents of piracy dropped 54 percent in 2009-2010.
EUFOR Libya. In April 2011, the EU agreed that if
requested to do so by the United Nations Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, it would
launch a CSDP military operation to help deliver humanitarian assistance to Libya.
EUSEC RD Congo
Since 2008
RD Congo, 2003
Since 2005
EUTM SOMALIA
Since 2010
EUPOL Kinshasa
RD Congo, 2005-2007
EUFOR RD Congo
2006
AMM Monitoring Mission
Aceh/Indonesia, 2005-2006
EUPOL RD Congo
Since 2007
As EU High Representative Catherine Ashton noted,
“In the primary objective of saving lives, sometimes
it is only the military which has the equipment or
people who can achieve that—delivering aid at speed,
putting in place the infrastructure. That is why, should
a UN request [for military support for humanitarian
needs] arrive, we will be ready to help.”
CSDP Structures and Instruments
Responsibility for CSDP crisis management
operations lies with a handful of permanent
EU politico-military bodies based in Brussels.
The Political and Security Committee monitors the international situation and helps
define policies within the Common Foreign
and Security Policy, including CSDP. It prepares an integrated EU response to a crisis,
including the evaluation of strategic political,
civil, and military options. The Political and
Security Committee meets at the ambassadorial level.
The European Union Military Committee,
the highest military body within the Council
of the EU, consists of Member State Defense
Chiefs, represented by their permanent military envoys. The European Union Military
Committee advises the Political and Security
Committee on all military matters relating to
the EU.
The Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management advises and provides information to the Political and Security Committee on civilian aspects of crisis management.
The European Union Military Staff provides
in-house military expertise for the EU’s
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy. The European Union Military
Staff is the EU’s only permanent integrated
military structure and is a key player in the
development of the Common Security and
Defense Policy.
Under the political control and strategic direction of the Political and Security Committee and the overall authority of the High
Representative, the Civilian Planning and
Conduct Capability ensures the effective
planning and conduct of civilian CSDP crisis
management operations, as well as the proper
implementation of mission-related tasks.
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Military and Civilian Capabilities
for Crisis Management
On the Web
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Common Foreign and Security Policy:
http://www.eeas.europa.eu/
cfsp
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Common Security and Defense Policy:
http://www.consilium.
europa.eu/csdp
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European Defense Agency:
http://www.eda.europa.eu/
The European Union does not have a standing army,
nor is there an EU civilian corps. Instead, EU Member
States commit the resources required for successful
civilian and military crisis management operations.
Civilian Missions. Civilian missions rely primarily on staff seconded by Member States, bolstered by
international and local contractors. More than 4,000
civilian experts are currently deployed in eight civilian
CSDP missions, focused primarily in the areas of police, the rule of law, civilian administration, and civil
protection. Lessons learned through these years of experience are applied to strengthen the strategic impact
of the missions and build a body of EU best practices
in crisis management.
Military Operations—Rapid Response and Deployability.
Troops for CSDP military operations are drawn from
dedicated national forces.
The EU’s initial goal was for Member States to be
able to cooperatively deploy a force of up to 60,000
within 60 days, and sustain the deployment for up to
one year. However, in the current global environment,
troops often need to deploy even more rapidly, so the
EU maintains more than a dozen battlegroups, each
of which can be deployed within 15 days on missions
lasting up to four months.
Each battlegroup consists of approximately 1,500
troops, and can act as either as a stand-alone force or
as an advance force preparing for a larger multinational peacekeeping effort. Two battlegroups at a time
remain on standby for a six-month period, allowing the EU to launch two concurrent rapid response
operations.
Twenty-one of the 27 EU Member States are also
members of NATO, and officials from both organizations work together closely to ensure proper coordination and mutual reinforcement of military crisis
management operations. The Berlin-Plus Agreement
allows the EU access to NATO’s collective assets and
capabilities for EU-led operations, including command arrangements and assistance in operational
planning.
In order to strengthen practical, on-the-ground
coordination in crisis situations, in May 2011
the EU and the U.S. formalized an agreement to
allow U.S. civilians to participate in EU Common Security and Defense Policy operations.
Previously, agreements for U.S. participation
in CSDP operations, including the EU’s Rule of
Law mission (EULEX) in Kosovo and EU’s Security Sector Reform mission (EUSEC) in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, had been
negotiated on an ad hoc basis.
European Defense Agency
EU Focus is published bi-monthly
by the Delegation of the European
Union to the United States.
Silvia Kofler
Head of Press
& Public Diplomacy
Editor-in-Chief
Stacy Hope
Editor
Melinda Stevenson
Writer/Assistant Editor
ISSN: 1830-5067
Catalogue No.: IQ-AA-11-05-EN-C
Delegation of the European Union
to the United States
2175 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.862.9500
www.eurunion.org
www.facebook.com/EUintheUS
www.twitter.com/EUintheUS
email:[email protected]
Established in 2004, the European Defense Agency develops the EU’s defense capabilities; fosters
Member State cooperation on armaments; promotes defense research and technology; creates a
competitive European defense equipment market;
and strengthens the European defense, technological, and industrial base.
For example, as military technology becomes more
sophisticated and expensive, EU governments cooperate on arms manufacturing, and engage in
pooling and sharing as a means to preserve and
develop military capabilities in Europe. The European Defense Agency and its Member States have
developed a strategic framework for steering and
prioritizing such capability improvement activities.
EDA also addresses current operational needs.
The EDA’s Helicopter Training Program is based
on sharing air crews’ knowledge and experience
on how to fly in the most demanding environments—mountains, heat, and dust. EDA helicopter
exercises conducted in France and Spain in 20092010 involved 60 helicopters, 110 crews, and more
than 1,300 participants. Of these, 63 crews were
deployed to Afghanistan.
“EDA has been instrumental in identifying
the gaps in our cooperation and to focus on
areas where we can make real progress, such
as helicopter crew training. This underlines
the added value of the EDA with its
integrated, pragmatic and output-oriented
approach.”
EU High Representative
Catherine Ashton, Head of the
European Defense Agency
For further information: http://www.eurunion.org/eufocus
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