The main priority areas for the development of EU civilian capabilities are: policing, strengthening the rule of law, public administration and civil protection.

In order to strengthen the European Union’s capabilities in civilian crisis management, it was also decided that Crisis Response Teams be established. These Teams can be developed in the short-term and consist of experts of many different specialisations.

The development of civilian capabilities is planned based on “Civilian Headline Goals”, drawn up and reviewed regularly in order to meet the increasing needs of the ESDP regarding civilian crisis management.

In November 2007, the Council of Ministers approved the new Civilian Headline Goal 2010 (CHG 2010). Through it, the EU aims to achieve the following objectives:

-         availability of trained staff to participate in ESDP missions;

-         development and strengthening of planning, management capabilities, as well as equipment and training;

-         cohesive approach to crisis management;

-         strengthening cooperation with external operators, fully respecting the principle of the EU’s decision-making autonomy.

Development of EU civilian capabilities

The Union’s military capabilities were initially defined by the Headline Goal which was set out by the Helsinki European Council (December 1999).  It was thus foreseen that EU members should cooperate voluntarily, pooling their resources, to be able to deploy within 60 days and sustain military forces of up to 60,000 personnel for at least 1 year.

In 2004, Headline Goal 2010 (HG 2010) was adopted, setting guidelines for developing the EU’s military capabilities through 2010. 

Five European Headquarters are to cover EU military operations (in Greece, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy). The Greek Headquarters in Larissa will organise the EU’s military exercise for 2009 (MILEX ’09).

The EU Operations Centre can function as operational headquarters for ESDP operations in case none of the above-mentioned headquarters are available.

Furthermore, multiethnic tactical battlegroups with rapid response capability have also been set up. Greece, as the Framework Nation, is leading one such formation participated in by Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania. This force became operational in the second half of 2007 and was again put at the disposal of the European Union in the first half of 2009. Our country also participates jointly with Portugal in a tactical amphibious battlegroup, under Spanish-Italian command, which will also be put at the disposal of the European Union in the first half of 2009.

Furthermore, the development of the maritime dimension of the ESDP is particularly important for the effective prevention and management of crises by the EU, and our country can play a decisive role in shaping this dimension. The Piraeus Multinational Coordinating Centre for Strategic Maritime Transport has already been put at the disposal of the EU and its member states, and relevant agreements have also been signed.

Last modified: March 2009