EU Battlegroup

EU Battlegroup
Active2004–present
Country European Union
BranchArmy
TypeFramework for creating deployable forces
Part ofCouncil of the European Union

An EU Battlegroup (EU BG)[1] is a military unit adhering to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union (EU). Often based on contributions from a coalition of member states, each of the eighteen Battlegroups consists of a battalion-sized force reinforced with combat support elements (1,500 troops).[2][3] Two of the battlegroups were to be capable for operational deployment at any one time. The civil power that oversees these battlegroups is the Council of the European Union.

EUBG 2014 II training in Germany

The Battlegroup initiative reached full operational capacity on 1 January 2007, but, as of November 2023, they had yet to see operational service.[4][5] They were developed from existing ad hoc missions that the European Union (EU) had undertaken.[3] The troops and equipment are drawn from the Member States of the European Union under the direction of a "lead nation". In 2004, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the plans and emphasised the value and importance of the Battlegroups in helping the UN deal with troublespots.[6]

  1. ^ Landstrom 2007, p. 7.
  2. ^ "The EU Battlegroups and the EU civilian and military cell" (PDF). European Union Factsheet. European Council. February 2005. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b Paul Reynolds (15 March 2007). "New force behind EU foreign policy". BBC News. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Charlemagne" (columnist) (13 January 2013). "Europe in a foreign field". The Economist. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bundeswehr Journal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Deaglan De Breadun (15 October 2004). "Value of EU 'battlegroup' plan stressed by Annan". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 July 2015.

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