EU BATTLEGROUPS
EU Battlegroups are multinational, military units, usually composed of 1500 personnel each and form an integral part of the European Union’s military rapid reaction capacity to respond to emerging crises and conflicts around the world. Like any decision relating to the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) their deployment is subject to a unanimous decision by the Council. Although Battlegroups have been fully operational since 2007 and have proven their value as a tool for defence cooperation and transformation, issues relating to political will, usability, and financial solidarity have prevented them from being deployed. However, in recent months much progress has been made to overcome these hurdles – giving the Battlegroups renewed impetus and relevance.
Since July 2016, EUROCORPS assumed the role of Deployable Force Headquarters of two consecutive EU Battlegroups:
- 2nd semester 2016
- 1st semester 2017
In that role EUROCORPS had to be able to conduct combined and joint operations in the context of the integrated approach and had to be certified after a challenging exercise cycle to meet the defined military criteria.
The next EUROCORPS rotation for the EUBG will be in 2025
