To date, some 20 military or civilian operations have been or are being deployed in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. They include different types: monitoring-surveillance (Balkans, Indonesia, Georgia), border posts (Rafah-Palestine, Moldova-Ukraine), police training and reinforcement (Afghanistan, Bosnia, Congo, Palestine), reform of security forces (Congo, Guinea) and rule of law (Iraq and Kosovo). The missions vary in size, number of participants, duration and intensity of action. Although the EU initially relied more heavily on means provided by NATO or other organisations, today it has become more autonomous and deploys more staff for longer periods.

Nine operations completed

• EU Monitoring Mission, Balkans (December 2000-December 2007). An ESDP mission before the term existed, the EUMM was charged with ensuring stability in the region, focusing on three aspects: borders, the return of refugees and ethnic issues. It succeeded the first EC monitoring mission, present in the region since July 1991 (in Croatia primarily). It was based in Sarajevo but extended to all states in the area (Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia-Kosovo). With 120 international observers (unarmed military staff) and 75 local staff, it was directed by Irish diplomat Antóin Mac Unfraidh and subsequently by Maryse Daviet (France).

• Concordia military operation, FYROM (March-December 2003). The EU's first military action, Concordia took over from the NATO Allied Harmony operation from 18 March 2003, with the aim of guaranteeing the security required for implementation of the Ohrid Agreement. Its staff included 400 troops from 26 countries (13 European) under the command of German Admiral Rainer Feist as D-Saceur (NATO deputy supreme allied commander Europe). The troops were commanded first by French Major General Jean-Pierre Maral and later by Portuguese Major General Luis Nelson Ferreira dos Santos (EUROFOR).

• Artemis military operation, Congo (June-September 2003). Serious unrest erupted in Ituri, a province in eastern Congo, in 2003. The town of Bunia was besieged. The EU, pending the arrival of a larger United Nations force, and taking over from 750 blue helmets, deployed a force of 2,200 troops, mostly from France (1,700) and Sweden. This first operation outside of Europe was completely autonomous and did not use any NATO means.

• EUPOL Proxima police mission, FYROM (December 2003-December 2005). Taking over from the Concordia military operation, this police mission aimed to ensure stabilisation of the situation and consolidation of the rule of law through the development of a professional police force meeting European standards in certain priority areas (borders, law and order, combating corruption and organised crime). The mission's approximately 200 police were commanded by German Police Brigadier-General Jürgen Scholz. A smaller mission of around 30 police, EUPAT, followed in June 2006.

• EUJUST Themis rule of law mission, Georgia (July 2004-July 2005). At the initiative of Lithuania, this mission provided support for the reform of Georgia's judicial system to bring the structures inherited from the Soviet system into line with Western standards. It was headed by French judge Sylvie Pantz. The action was continued with the creation of a small support team (that still exists today) charged with assisting the authorities on rule of law issues and border control. The team works at the office of the EU special representative in Georgia.

• EUPOL police mission, Kinshasa, Congo (February 2005-June 2007). Set up to support police reform in the Congo, this mission trained a specialised integrated police unit (IPU) charged with protecting transition players and it contributed to international assistance and security for the 2006 elections.

• EU support mission for the African Union (AMIS), Darfur(June 2005 - December 2007). With a staff of around 50 people (military and police), this civilian and military action provided support for the African Union troops deployed in Darfur. The EU – like NATO – also provided strategic transport aid. It was directed by the Special Envoy to Sudan, Torben Brylle. The UN-African Union hybrid mission (UNAMID) then took over the task.

• Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) – Aceh, Indonesia (September 2005 – December 2006). In the wake of the Helsinki Agreement between the Indonesian government and the GAM rebel group, which put an end to a 30-year conflict, the EU deployed a mission in charge of monitoring the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process. The 250 observers were headed by Dutch diplomat Pieter Feith (currently head of the EU Civilian Office in Kosovo).

.• Operation EUFOR, Democratic Republic of Congo (April-November 2006). The second military operation in this country, following on the heels of Artemis, this mission aimed to provide security for the election process. Around 500 troops, mostly French, German and Spanish, were commanded by German Lieutenant-General Karlheinz Viereck from the headquarters in Potsdam (Germany) and by French Lieutenant-General Christian Damay in Kinshasa.

Fourteen operations in progress

CIVILIAN MISSIONS

• EU police mission (EUPM), Bosnia-Herzegovina (January 2003-December 2009). Forming part of the United Nations police mission in this country, the aim is to create a "unified, independent and depoliticised" Bosnian police force and to strengthen the professional competence of police (senior officials, training and recruitment), notably in combating organised crime and corruption, thanks to the creation of a government agency specialised in these matters. The mission has a staff of around 400 people (including 180 European experts) and is commanded by German Police Brigadier-General Stefan Feller, who took over on 1 November from his Italian colleague, Vincenzo Coppola.

• EU security sector reform mission (EUSEC), DR Congo (June 2005-June 2009). Launched in support of reform of the Congolese army and the national reconciliation process, this mission has implemented several projects: reform of the military payment chain – to guarantee more effective payment of salaries, a key element in combating corruption -, biometric census of troops (with ID cards that are impossible to forge and checks of ranks) and organisation of a rapid reaction force. The resumption of hostilities in the province of North Kivu (near Rwanda) has complicated the mission. It has a staff of around 40 and is commanded by French General Jean-Paul Michel.

• EUJUST LEX rule of law mission, Iraq(July 2005-June 2009). Set up in the framework of the EU programme for Iraq presented in November 2004, the mission provides training for the Iraqi criminal justice system (police, judicial and penitentiary) either in the country or in EU member states. To date, it has trained around 1,750 people. With some 30 experts in Brussels and Bagdad, it is directed by Stephen White (UK).

• EU border assistance mission (EUBAM), Moldova and Ukraine (November 2005-November 2009). Although it is not formally an ESDP mission, EUBAM is closely related to the ESDP given its mandate – to contribute to the training and restructuring of the border guard and customs services of these two countries, shaped by their common history in the ex-USSR - and its context. The mission is deployed along the border between Ukraine and Transnistria, the eastern part of Moldova that broke away from that country in 1992 and declared its independence, which has not been recognised by any state in the international community, not even Russia, which maintains a 'peacekeeping' contingent there. There was a real risk of the development of a zone of lawlessness open to mafias and trafficking of all kinds. EUBAM has a staff of 200 (including 130 EU experts) and is commanded by Hungarian Major-General Ferenc Bánfi.

• EUBAM border assistance mission, Rafah (November 2005-November 2008). Implemented following the agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, this border assistance mission at the Rafah crossing point was quick to experience the political change following the victory by Hamas in the elections in January 2006 and the boycott of Gaza by Israel. Between June 2006 and June 2007, the crossing point – which is usually closed – was opened on an exceptional basis on several occasions, allowing 165,000 to cross the border. In June 2007, the mission was suspended until further notice. The EU is "prepared to redeploy its staff at the Rafah crossing point as soon as conditions allow". With a staff of 27, the mission is commanded by Italian General Pietro Pistolese.

• EU police mission (EUPOL COPPS), Palestinian Territories(since January 2006). Put in place as part of the EU's drive to help Palestine improve its state structure, EUPOL COPPS was originally intended to strengthen the Palestinian police force with organisational assistance at both local and central level, maintaining law and order, and providing training and equipment. Since May 2008, the mission has gradually extended to the criminal justice system (courts, prosecutors and penitentiary system). Its staff of around 30 (police and civilian experts) is commanded by Colin Smith (UK).

• EUPOL, DR Congo(July 2007-June 2009). Taking over from EUPOL Kinshasa, the EU police mission aims to develop an organised crime unit and a command centre in the capital to facilitate interaction between the police and the judicial system. EUPOL is staffed by around 40 criminal justice experts from nine member states, as well as Switzerland and Angola, and is commanded by Adilio Custodio (Portugal).

• EUPOL, Afghanistan(June 2007-June 2010). Forming part of the international community's drive to stabilise Afghanistan, the police mission aims to strengthen the Afghan police in rule of law (criminal investigations, training, border management). It is continuing the work begun by the German Police Project Office (GPPO) and has a staff of 230, which will rise to 400 following the decision by the defence ministers in May 2008. The mission is commanded by Danish Police Commissioner Kai Vittrup, who took over from German General Jürgen Scholz in October 2008.

• EULEX, Kosovo(February 2008-February 2010). This rule of law mission took over from the United Nations mission (UNMIK) to help consolidate rule of law (justice, police, customs) at a difficult time, ie as the former Serb province declared its independence. Serbian and Russian hostility delayed deployment, which resumed during the summer of 2008 and should be completed at the end of the year. In time, EULEX is expected to be comprised of around 3,000 people (1,900 EU nationals and 1,100 local staff): police (around 1,400, including 400 to 500 in charge of maintaining order), judges (200 to 300) and a small customs unit (around 20 people). It is the biggest EU civilian mission. Twenty-six member states are participating along with four non-EU countries (Switzerland, Norway, Turkey and United States). It is commanded by former French General Yves de Kermabon.

• EU SSR security sector reform mission, Guinea-Bissau (June 2008-June 2009). The mission aims to help the reform of the security sector (police, justice, army), begun by the government with the support of international organisations. Made up of about 40 people (21 international specialists and 18-19 locals), it is run by Spanish General Juan Esteban-Verastegui.

• Monitoring Mission (EUMM), Georgia(October 2008-October 2009). Put in place urgently after the ceasefire agreements signed between Russia and Georgia, under the auspices of the European Union – the Medvedev-Sarkozy six-point plan – the mission was deployed in record time in late September to replace Russian troops in the 'secure zone', on Georgian territory, at the border with South Ossetia and Abkhazia (Georgian provinces which have been de facto autonomous since 1992, which declared their independence during the conflict, but this has only been recognised by Russia and a few other countries). The mission will last one year. It is made up of 240 people and is run by German diplomat Hansjörg Haber.

MILITARY OPERATIONS

• Althea, Bosnia-Herzegovina (since December 2004). The EU took over from the NATO SFOR force, present in the country since December 1996, following the Dayton Agreements. Planned to stay in place "as long as necessary," it has progressively decreased its manpower – from 7,000 to 2,500 – and the closure of the mission is debated at member state level. Implementing the ‘Berlin Plus’ agreement, the operation’s headquarters is ensured by NATO (Shape) in Mons (Belgium). The force is run by Spanish General Ignacio Martin Villalain (who succeeded the German Rear Admiral Hans-Jochen Witthauer).

• EUFOR Chad-Central African Republic (15 March 2008-15 March 2009). Put in place to protect the camps of refugees and displaced persons in the east of Chad and the north of the Central African Republic, as a prelude to the deployment of the UN’s peacekeepers, the European force is made up of 3,500 people. Run by Irish General Pat Nash (operation commander based in Mont-Valérien) and French General Jean-Philippe Ganascia (force commander), it has had to overcome several political, logistical and security difficulties.

• EUFOR naval operation in Somalia (December 2008-December 2009). Faced with the increase in the cases of piracy affecting merchant or fishing vessels, the European Union decided to put in place what will be its first naval operation. Before legal and political difficulties, it has been decided to put in place a small coordination cell, called EU Navco, made up of a few officers within the EU’s headquarters in Brussels, in order to ensure the liaison with all interested parties (ship owners and marine organisations, World Food Programme and NGOs, military coalition CTF 150 run by the Americans). Decided in November, the military operation should officially start in December, and last for one year. It is run by British Rear Admiral Philip Jones, based in the British headquarters in Northwood.