Since 2002, the European Union has intervened abroad thirty times in three different continents.
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The European Union (EU) has undertaken a number of overseas missions and operations, drawing on civilian and military capabilities, in several countries across three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia), as part of its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The operation or mission in question will work in agreement and coordination with the EU delegations, until 2009 known as the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).[1][2]

Organisation

Deployment procedure

Main article: Structure of the Common Security and Defence Policy § Deployment procedure

The decision to deploy – together with any subsequent management of – the mission or operation in question, will ultimately be taken by the EU member states in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).

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.[3]

Command and control structure

Further information: Command and control structure of the European Union

The EU command and control (C2) structure is directed by political bodies composed of member states' representatives, and generally requires unanimous decisions. As of April 2019:[4]

Liaison:       Advice and recommendations       Support and monitoring       Preparatory work     
Political strategic level:[5]
ISSEUCO Pres. (EUCO)Chain of command
Coordination/support
SatCenCIVCOMHR/VP (FAC)
INTCENHR/VP (PMG)HR/VP (PSC)[6]

CEUMC (EUMC)
CMPD

DGEUMS[3] (EUMS)
Military/civilian strategic level:


Dir MPCC[3] (MPCC)		JSCCCiv OpCdr CPCC[1]
Operational level:
MFCdr[4] (MFHQ)HoM[1]
Tactical level:
CC[2] LandCC[2] AirCC[2] MarOther CCs[2]
ForcesForcesForcesForces


1 In the event of a CSDP Civilian Mission also being in the field, the relations with the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) and its Civilian Operation Commander (Civ OpCdr), as well as the subordinate Head of Mission (HoM), are coordinated as shown.
2 Other Component Commanders (CCs) and service branches which may be established.
3 The MPCC is part of the EUMS and Dir MPCC is double-hatted as DGEUMS. Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), either a national OHQ offered by member states or the NATO Command Structure (NCS) would serve this purpose. In the latter instance, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), rather than Dir MPCC, would serve as Operation Commander (OpCdr).
4 Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), the MFCdr would be known as a Force Commander (FCdr), and direct a Force Headquarters (FHQ) rather than a MFHQ. Whereas the MFHQ would act both on the operational and tactical level, the FHQ would act purely on the operational level.
5 The political strategic level is not part of the C2 structure per se, but represents the political bodies, with associated support facilities, that determine the missions' general direction. The Council determines the role of the High Representative (HR/VP), who serves as Vice-President of the European Commission, attends European Council meetings, chairs the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and may chair the Political and Security Committee (PSC) in times of crisis. The HR/VP proposes and implements CSDP decisions.
6 Same composition as Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) II, which also prepares for the CSDP-related work of the FAC.

Classification

An EUNAVFOR badge displayed aboard a German frigate as part of the mission titled European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Somalia, commonly referred to as Operation Atalanta.

In the EU terminology, civilian CSDP interventions are called 'missions', regardless of whether they have an executive mandate such as EULEX Kosovo or a non-executive mandate (all others). Military interventions, however, can either have an executive mandate such as for example Operation Atalanta in which case they are referred to as 'operations' and are commanded at two-star level; or non-executive mandate (e.g. EUTM Somalia) in which case they are called 'missions' and are commanded at one-star level.

Prefixes

All CSDP missions and operations are given a prefix depending on the nature of the mission, which is either military or civilian.

Civilian missions:

Military operations:

The operations are named as if the multinational force conducting it is established specifically for the unique operation, which is often the case. The force may however also consist of permanent multinational forces such as the European Corps.

List

Beginning End Name Abbreviation Alternative name Personnel OHQ
July 1991 31 December 2007 European Union Monitoring Mission in the former Yugoslavia ECMM / EUMM N/A ? ?
December 2002 — Police Assistance Mission of the European Community to Albania PAMECA N/A ? ?
1 January 2003 30 June 2012 European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina EUPM BiH N/A 774[5] ?
31 March 2003 15 December 2003 European Union Military Operation in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia EUFOR Concordia Operation Concordia 400[5] ACO
12 June 2003 1 September 2003 European Union Military Operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo EUFOR Artemis Operation Artemis 1800[5] France Paris
15 December 2003 14 December 2005 European Union Police Mission in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia[a] EUPOL FYROM EUPOL Proxima 200[5] ?
16 July 2004 14 July 2005 European Union Rule of Law Mission in Georgia[b] EUJUST Georgia EUJUST Themis 27[5] ?
2 December 2004 — European Union Military Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina EUFOR BiH Operation Althea 600[5] ACO
12 April 2005 30 June 2007 European Union Police Mission in Kinshasa[c] EUPOL Kinshasa N/A ? ?
8 June 2005 2016 European Union Security Sector Reform Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo[d] EUSEC RD Congo N/A ? ?
1 July 2005 31 December 2013 European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission in Iraq EUJUST LEX Iraq N/A ? ?
18 July 2005 31 December 2007 European Union Support to African Union Mission in Sudan[e] AMIS EU Supporting Action N/A ? ?
15 September 2005 15 December 2006 European Union Monitoring Mission in Aceh AMM N/A ? ?
25 November 2005 — European Union Border Assistance Mission to Rafah EUBAM Rafah N/A ? European Union CPCC
1 December 2005 — European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine EUBAM Moldova and Ukraine N/A ? European Union CPCC
15 December 2005 14 June 2006 European Union Police Advisory Team in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia[f] EUPAT N/A ? ?
1 January 2006 — European Union Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories EUPOL COPPS N/A ? European Union CPCC
12 June 2006 30 November 2006 European Union Military Operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2006) EUFOR RD Congo N/A 2300[5] ?
15 June 2007 31 December 2016 European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan EUPOL Afghanistan N/A ? ?
1 July 2007 30 September 2014 European Union Police Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo[g] EUPOL RD Congo N/A ? ?
12 February 2008 30 September 2010 European Union Mission in Support of Security Sector Reform in Guinea-Bissau[h] EUSSR Guinea-Bissau N/A ? ?
17 March 2008 15 March 2009 European Union Military Operation in Chad and the Central African Republic EUFOR Tchad/RCA N/A 3700[5] ?
1 October 2008 — European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia EUMM Georgia N/A ? European Union CPCC
5 November 2008 — European Union Naval Force Somalia EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta 1200[5] Spain ES OHQ
9 December 2008 — European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo EULEX Kosovo N/A ? European Union CPCC
10 April 2010 — European Union Training Mission in Somalia EUTM Somalia N/A 100[5] European Union Military Staff MPCC
July 2012 — European Union Capacity Building Mission in Niger EUCAP Sahel Niger N/A ? European Union CPCC
16 July 2012 — European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia[i] EUCAP Somalia EUCAP Nestor[j] ? European Union CPCC
February 2013 January 2014 European Union Aviation Security Mission in South Sudan[k] EUAVSEC South Sudan N/A ? ?
18 February 2013 — European Union Training Mission in Mali EUTM Mali N/A 500[5] European Union Military Staff MPCC
May 2013 — European Union Integrated Border Assistance Mission in Libya EUBAM Libya N/A ? European Union CPCC
10 February 2014 23 March 2015 European Union Military Operation in the Central African Republic EUFOR RCA N/A 600[5] ?
April 2014 — European Union Capacity Building Mission in Mali EUCAP Sahel Mali N/A ? European Union CPCC
December 2014 — European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine EUAM Ukraine N/A 350+ European Union CPCC
23 March 2015 16 July 2016 European Union Military Advisory Mission in the Central African Republic EUMAM RCA N/A ? ?
22 June 2015 31 March 2020 European Union Naval Force Mediterranean EUNAVFOR Med Operation Sophia ? Italy ITA-JFHQ
16 July 2016 — European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic EUTM RCA N/A ? European Union Military Staff MPCC
22 November 2017 — European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq EUAM Iraq N/A ? European Union CPCC
31 March 2020 — European Union Naval Force Mediterranean EUNAVFOR Med Irini Operation Irini ? Italy ITA-JFHQ
20 October 2022 19 December 2022 European Union Monitoring Capacity to Armenia EUMCAP N/A 40 ?
17 October 2022 — European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine[18] EUMAM Ukraine N/A N/A European Union Military Staff MPCC
20 December 2022 23 January 2023 European Union Planning Assistance Team in Armenia EUPAT Armenia N/A ? ?
23 January 2023 — European Union Mission in Armenia[19] EUMA N/A 100 ?
20 February 2023 — European Union Military Partnership Mission in Niger[20][21] EUMPM Niger N/A ? ?
24 April 2023 — European Union Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova[22] EUPM Moldova N/A ? ?
February 2024 — EUNAVFOR Aspides[23] EUNAVFOR Aspides Operation Aspides ? ?

Proposed missions

Historical proposals

See also

Related topics of the Common Security and Defence Policy:

Operations and exercises of the precursors of the Common Security and Defence Policy

Operations and exercises of the multinational forces made available to the CSDP in accordance with article 42.3 of the Treaty on European Union:

Missions and exercises of other organisations:

Notes

  1. ^ This operation was launched on 15 December 2003 and covered an initial period of one year.
  2. ^ This mission was launched on 16 July 2004 for a duration of 12 months, and was designed to support the Georgian authorities in challenges to the criminal justice system and reform process.
  3. ^ In October 2003, the Democratic Republic of Congo requested the EU for assistance in setting up an Integrated Police Unit. EUPOL Kinshasa monitored, mentored and advised the IPU once trained and operational under a Congolese chain of command, until the national elections in DRC held in 2005. The mission finished on 30 June 2007.[6]
  4. ^ The European Union mission is to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[7] Among EUSEC DR Congo's projects was the 'Modernisation de l’Administration des Forces Armées de la RDC' (Modernisation of the Administration of the FARDC) underway in December 2008, under which, amongst other projects, information technology training was being delivered.[8] It appears that in December 2009, Secretary-General/High Representative Javier Solana issued a formal invitation for the United States government to offer a contribution to EUSEC RD Congo.[citation needed] EUSEC DR Congo was initially planned in 2005-06 to include eight EU advisors assigned to posts in the DRC's integrated military structure (Structure Militaire d'Integration (?)), the army general staff, the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (CONADER?), the Joint Operational Committee, and the Ministry of Defence.[9] From 2007 to 2011 EUSEC personnel grew from 8 to 46, with about 30 locally employed staff. 34 locally employed staff were listed in 2011. In 2008 with 46 staff 26 were in Kinshasa and 20 in the eastern DRC. Two personnel have died due to illness.[10]
  5. ^ European Union support for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), the mission of the African Union in Darfur. NATO likewise provided support to AMIS from 2005 to 2007[11] Both EU and NATO missions ended with the handover to UNAMID on 31 December 2007. It included provision of airlift for 2,000 personnel, financial aid totalling more than EUR 500 million, the deployment of 15 military experts, 30 police officers, two military observers with AMIS, plus several military advisors sent to Addis Ababa to support the EU Special Representative.[12]
  6. ^ Launched on 15 December 2005 as a follow-on mission to EUPOL Proxima. The EU monitors and mentors the country's police on priority issues in the field of border police, public peace and order and accountability, the fight against corruption and organised crime. It finished its mandate in May 2006.[6]
  7. ^ Established as a successor to EUPOL Kinshasa with an initial mandate until 30 June 2008.
  8. ^ A mission for security sector reform in Guinea-Bissau with an initial mandate until 31 May 2009. Ended due to concerns over cooperation by Guinea-Bissau.[13]
  9. ^ EUCAP Somalia enhances the Somalia’s maritime civilian law enforcement capacity by supporting federal and regional authorities in developing legislation, strengthening the criminal justice chain in the maritime domain and providing advice on policy to the Somali ministry of internal security and the Somali Police Force.[14][15] Since 2003, NATO has also operated its own counter-piracy mission off of the Horn of Africa as well.[11]
  10. ^ Name of the mission prior to 1 March 2016.[16]
  11. ^ Strengthening aviation security at Juba's airport.[17]

References

  1. ^ European Union External Action > EU Operations [1]
  2. ^ Benjamin Pohl (2013) The logic underpinning EU crisis management operations, European Security, 22(3): 307-325, DOI:10.1080/09662839.2012.726220, p. 311.
  3. ^ "The EU Military Staff: A frog in boiling water?". 10 August 2017.
  4. ^ EU Command and Control, p. 13, Military Staff
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2018.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ a b "Foreign & Commonwealth Office". GOV.UK. 27 May 2022.
  7. ^ USEC DR Congo The Council of the European Union
  8. ^ Council of the European Union, Note Technique: Projet "Modernisation de l'Administration des FARDC" Formation en Technologies d’Information au profit des Forces Armées de la RDC, November 2008
  9. ^ Sharon Wiharta, 'Peacebuilding: the new international focus on Africa,' SIPRI Yearbook 2006, Oxford University Press, p.154.
  10. ^ SIPRI Yearbook 2007-2011.
  11. ^ a b NATO > Current Operations and Missions [2]
  12. ^ Brookes Tigner, JDW 9 January 2008.
  13. ^ "EU to end Guinea-Bissau security mission". BBC News. 2 August 2010.
  14. ^ European Union External Action > EUCAP NESTOR [3]
  15. ^ Global Governance Institute > Analysis of EUCAP NESTOR "Global Governance Institute – GGI Analysis: The Somali crisis and the EU". Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  16. ^ "EUCAP Nestor renamed as EUCAP Somalia – New website – EUCAP Somalia". Eucap-som.eu. March 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  17. ^ "EU".
  18. ^ "Ukraine: EU sets up a military assistance mission to further support the Ukrainian Armed Forces".
  19. ^ "Armenia: EU establishes a civilian mission to contribute to stability in border areas".
  20. ^ "Niger: EU launches its military partnership mission".
  21. ^ "EU Military Partnership Mission in Niger | EEAS".
  22. ^ "Moldova: EU sets up a civilian mission to strengthen the resilience of the security sector – Consilium".
  23. ^ https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/eu-launches-red-sea-mission-aspides-to-protect-vessels-from-houthi-attacks/. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ^ "European Union External Action".

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