50°50′43″N 4°23′25″E / 50.84528°N 4.39028°E / 50.84528; 4.39028 This article outlines the present structure of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), a part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) based on articles 42–46 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).^[1][2] Article 42.2 of TEU states that the CSDP includes the 'progressive framing' of a common Union defence policy, and will lead to a common defence, when the European Council of national heads of state or government, acting unanimously, so decides.

The CSDP involves military or civilian missions being deployed to preserve peace, prevent conflict and strengthen international security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Military missions are carried out by EU forces established with contributions from the member states' armed forces. The CSDP also entails collective self-defence amongst member states^[a] as well as a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in which 25 of the 28 national armed forces pursue structural integration. The CSDP structure, headed by the Union's High Representative (HR/VP), Federica Mogherini, comprises:

• the Defence Industry Directorate-General of the European Commission
• relevant sections of the External Action Service (EEAS) — including the Military Staff (EUMS) with its so-called Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC)
• a number of Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) preparatory bodies — such as the Military Committee (EUMC)
• four agencies, including the Defence Agency (EDA)

The EU does not have a permanent military command structure along the lines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO), although it has been agreed that ACO resources may be used for the conduct of the EU's CSDP missions. The MPCC, established in 2017 and to be strengthened in 2020, does however represent the EU's first step in developing a permanent military headquarters. In parallel, the newly established European Defence Fund (EDF) marks the first time the EU budget is used to finance multinational defence projects. The CSDP structure is sometimes referred to as the European Defence Union (EDU), especially in relation to its prospective development as the EU's defence arm.^[3][4][5][b]

Decisions relating to the CSDP are proposed by the HR/VP, adopted by the FAC, generally requiring unanimity, and then implemented by the HR/VP.

Military operations may be launched after four planning phases, through which the Operation Commander (Op. Cdr.), Military Staff (EUMS), Military Committee (EUMC), Political and Security Committee (PSC) and Council have different roles:^[6]

I: Political Framework for Crisis Approach (PFCA)

II: Crisis Management Concept (CMC)

III: Military Strategic Options (MCO, unless within CMC) and Initiating Military Directive (IMD)

IV: Concept of Operations (CONOPS), Operations Plan (OPLAN) and Rules of Engagement (ROE)

Clockright from top left: 1) High-level HQ of Western Union (WU) C-in-C Committee Chairman Montgomery at Château des Fougères in Fontainebleau's neighbouring commune Avon, 2) Commands of the WU service branches, situated in the Palace of Fontainebleau 1948–1951, 3) Organisational chart of the European Defence Community, which was proposed by French prime minister René Pleven but failed to acquire ratification by the French parliament in 1954, 4) French Prime Minister René Pleven (1951)

In 1948 the Treaty of Brussels was signed by France, the United Kingdom and the three Benelux countries, creating a European defence alliance to protect against potential Soviet or German aggression in the aftermath of World War II. In order to implement this treaty, the Western Union Defence Organisation (WUDO) was established with headquarters (HQ) and commands for each of the service branches at Fontainbleau, France. In 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty was signed, and in order to implement this treaty, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was established in 1951 following the outbreak of the Korean War. NATO's main headquarters was Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), which took over WUDO's plans, structures and premises at Fontainebleau. This canibalisation of WUDO and the Treaty of Brussels resulted in the modification of the Treaty of Brussels in 1955, at which point the Western Union was replaced by with the largely dormant Western European Union (WEU).

In a separate development, the European Defence Community (EDF) would have created a European defence capability and command line with defined links to NATO, had it not failed to acquire ratification in the French parliament in 1954.

Since the inception of the EU's European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) in 1999 (renamed the Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, in 2009), missions had only ad hoc operational headquarters (OHQ). The United Kingdom, in particular, had blocked moves towards establishing a permanent EU OHQ that could duplicate or undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) - and its SHAPE headquarters in Mons, Belgium.

As of 2017, CSDP missions had the following ad hoc OHQ options, from which the Council would choose:

• National 'parent headquarters', e.g. Northwood Headquarters as made available by the United Kingdom
• Allied Command Operations (ACO) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), based on the Berlin Plus agreement
• European Union Operations Centre (EU OPCEN), a limited ad hoc headquarters outside the EEAS

All civilian missions are directed by the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC), a directorate of the External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, Belgium.

SHAPE

MPCC

CPCO

EinsFüKdoBw

EL EU OHQ

ITA-JFHQ

MNHQ

NAVSTA Rota

Location of alternative OHQs for EU military operations (EU headquarters, NATO headquarters and national parent headquarters are shown with red, blue and yellow marks, respectively)

For each military mission, also referred to as operation, the Council nominates the operational headquarters (OHQ) that will run the operation at strategic level and direct the subordinate force headquarters (FHQ), which carries out the operation on the ground. There are three main options for OHQ:^[7]

1. Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) of the EEAS' Military Staff (EUMS) in Brussels, Belgium, which may presently run only non-executive operations. By the end of 2020 the MPCC will also be capable of running executive operations of up to 2500 troops (i.e. the size of one battle group).^[8]
2. Allied Command Operations (ACO) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). ACO's main headquarters is the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. This use of NATO assets by the EU, provided by the 'Berlin Plus agreement'^[9], is subject to a "right of first refusal", i.e. NATO must first decline to intervene in a given crisis^[10], and contingent on unanimous approval among NATO states, including those outside of the EU. For example, Turkish reservations about Operation Concordia using NATO assets delayed its deployment by more than five months.^[11]
3. National parent headquarters made available by member states:

 Centre for Planning and Conduct of Operations (CPCO) in Paris, France

 Armed Forces Operational Command (EinsFüKdoBw) in Potsdam, Germany

 Hellenic European Union Operational Headquarters (EL EU OHQ) in Larissa, Greece

 Italian Joint Force Headquarters^[12] (ITA-JFHQ) in Centocelle, Rome, Italy

 Multinational Headquarters (MNHQ) at Northwood Headquarters in London, United Kingdom

 Naval Station Rota^[13] (NAVSTA Rota) in Rota, Spain

An additional theoretical option for military operations is to activate a European Union Operations Centre (EU OPCEN), a non-standing, ad-hoc headquarters.^[14] The OPCEN was active between 2012 and 2016, and its structures will be integrated into the MPCC in 2020.^[15] Prior to the creation of the MPCC, the Local Mission Headquarters were be established in the country in which training missions (EUTM) took place.

EEAS, EDA, Council, Commission

ISS

SatCen

EBCG

Location of decentralised CSDP agencies in addition to the Brussels-based External Action Service (EEAS), Defence Agency (EDA) and Council

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, commonly referred to as the High Representative (HR/VP), is the chief co-ordinator and representative of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including the CSDP. The position is currently held by Federica Mogherini.

Where foreign matters is agreed between EU member states, the High Representative can speak for the EU in that area, such as negotiating on behalf of the member states.

Beside representing the EU at international fora and co-ordinating the CFSP and the CSDP, the HR/VP is:

• ex-officio Vice-President of the European Commission
• participant in the meetings of the European Council
• responsible of the European Union Special Representatives
• head of the External Action Service and the delegations
• President of the Foreign Affairs Council
• Head of the European Defence Agency
• Chairperson of the board of the European Union Institute for Security Studies

• Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, established in 2019

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the diplomatic service and foreign and defence ministry of the EU. The EEAS is led by the HR/VP and seated in Brussels.

The EEAS does not propose or implement policy in its own name, but prepares acts to be adopted by the HR/VP, the European Commission or the Council.^[16] The EEAS is also in charge of EU diplomatic missions (delegations)^[17] and intelligence and crisis management structures.^[18][19][20]

The following EEAS bodies take part in managing the CSDP:

• The Military Staff (EUMS) is an EEAS Directorate-General that provides strategic advice to the HR/VP and commands military operations through its Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) operational headquarters.^[21][22] The EUMS also reports to the European Union Military Committee (EUMC), representing member states' Chiefs of Defence, and performs "early warning", situation assessment and strategic planning. The EUMS currently consists of 200+ military and civilian personnel. The EUMS and the European Defence Agency (EDA) together form the Secretariat of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the structural integration pursued by 25 of the 28 national armed forces of the EU since 2017.^[23]
• The Intelligence and Situation Centre (EU INTCEN)
• The Security and Defence College (ESDC) is a virtual institution for strategic level training. The ESDC consists of a network of various national institutions, such as defence colleges, and the European Union Institute for Security Studies.^[24] The ESDC initiated the European initiative for the exchange of young officers inspired by Erasmus, often referred to as military Erasmus, exchanging between armed forces of future military officers as well as their teachers and instructors during their initial education^[25] and training. Due to the fact that the initiative is implemented by the Member States on a purely voluntary basis, their autonomy with regard to military training is not compromised.
• The Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD)
• The Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC)

The relationship between the High Representative, the Military Staff and Military Committee as of November 2017:^[26] Colour key:
  High Representative (a Vice-President of the Commission)
  Military Committee (EUMC; a Council body)
  Military Staff (EUMS; a Directorate-General of the External Action Service)

High Representative

Chairman EUMC

Working Group

Working Group/Headline Goal Task Force

Director General EUMS/ Director MPCC

Legal advisor

Deputy Director General

Horizontal Coordination

Assistant Chief of Staff for Synchronisation

EU cell at SHAPE

EU Liaison at the UN in NY

Assistant Chief of Staff for External Relations

NATO Permanent Liaison Team

Concepts & Capabilities Directorate

Intelligence Directorate

Operations Directorate

Logistics Directorate

Communications & Information Systems Directorate

Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) Chief of Staff Working Group Current Operations

The Council of the European Union has the following, Brussels-based preparatory bodies in the field of CSDP:

• The Political and Security Committee (PSC) consists of ambassadorial level representatives from the EU member states and usually meets twice per week.^[27] The PSC is chaired by the External Action Service. Ambassador Walter Stevens has been the PSC permanent Chair since June 2013^[28] The main functions of the PSC are keeping track of the international situation, and helping to define EU policies within the CFSP and CSDP.^[29] PSC sends guidance to, and receives advice from the European Union Military Committee (EUMC), the Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM) as well as the European Union Institute for Security Studies. It is also a forum for dialogue on CSDP matters between the EU Member States. PSC also drafts opinions for the Foreign Affairs Council, which is one of the configurations of the Council of the European Union. CFSP matters are passed to the Foreign Affairs Council via COREPER II.
• The European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is composed of member states' Chiefs of Defence (CHOD). These national CHODs are regularly represented in the EUMC in Brussels by their permanent Military Representatives (MilRep), who often are two- or three-star flag officers. The EUMC is under the under authority of the EU's High Representative (HR) and the Political and Security Committee (PSC). The EUMC gives military advice to the EU's High Representative (HR) and Political and Security Committee (PSC). The EUMC also oversees the European Union Military Staff (EUMS).
• The Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM) is an advisory body dealing with civilian aspects of crisis management. The activities of CIVCOM therefore forms part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of EU, and the civilian side of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). CIVCOM is composed of representatives of the EU member states. The activities of CIVCOM for civilian CSDP tasks occur in parallel to the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) for military CDP tasks. Both EUMC and CIVCOM receive directions from, and report to the Political and Security Committee (PSC). The decision to establish CIVCOM was taken in 2000 by the Council of the European Union.^[30]
• The Politico-Military Group (PMG) carries out preparatory work for the Political and Security Committee (PSC). It covers the political aspects of EU military and civil-military issues, including concepts, capabilities and operations and missions.^[31] The tasks of the PMG include: 1) preparing Council conclusions and provides recommendations for the PSC, and monitoring their effective implementation 2) contributing to the development of horisontal policy and facilitating information exchanges. The PMG has a particular responsibility regarding partnerships with non-EU countries and other organisations, including EU-NATO relations, as well as exercises. The PMG is chaired by a representative of the HR/VP.

The following agencies relate to the CSDP:

• The Defence Agency (EDA), based in Brussels, facilitates the improvement of national military capabilities and integration. In that capacity, it makes proposals, coordinates, stimulates collaboration, and runs projects.
• The Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), based in Warsaw, Poland, leads the European coast guard that controls the borders of the Schengen Area.
• The Institute for Security Studies (ISS), based in Paris, is an autonomous think tank that researches EU-relevant security issues. The research results are published in papers, books, reports, policy briefs, analyses and newsletters. In addition, the institute convenes seminars and conferences on relevant issues that bring together EU officials, national experts, decision-makers and NGO representatives from all Member States.
• The Satellite Centre (SatCen), located in Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain, supports the decision-making by providing products and services resulting from the exploitation of relevant space assets and collateral data, including satellite and aerial imagery, and related services.

The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is the framework in which 25 of the 28 national armed forces pursue structural integration. Based on Article 42.6 and Protocol 10 of the Treaty on European Union, introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009, PESCO was first initiated in 2017.^[32] The initial integration within the PESCO format is a number of projects planned to launch in 2018.^[33]

PESCO is similar to enhanced co-operation in other policy areas, in the sense that integration does not require that all EU member states participate.

The European Defence Fund is an EU-managed fund for coordinating and increasing national investment in defence research and improve interoperability between national forces. It was proposed in 2016 by President Jean-Claude Juncker and established in 2017 to a value of €5.5 billion per year. The fund has two stands; research (€90 million until the end of 2019 and €500 million per year after 2020) and development & acquisition (€500 million in total for 2019–20 then €1 billion per year after 2020).^[34]

Together with the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence and Permanent Structured Cooperation it forms a new comprehensive defence package for the EU.^[35]

EU-developed infrastructure for military use includes:

• European Secure Software-defined Radio
• Galileo (satellite navigation)

• Structure of NATO

• European Defence (2019), European Court of Auditors