Today, the European Union is taking a major step forward towards increasing the capacity of civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions by setting up a Warehouse that will ensure the rapid deployment of equipment and assets for EU civilian crisis management missions. Officials of the European Commission and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency MSB are signing in Brussels the agreement confirming the full functionality of the special warehouse as of June. This will significantly improve the logistical support for the currently ten civilian CSDP Missions. Key equipment and logistical services can swiftly be made available to the 2,000 women and men in the field.
Security at home depends on peace beyond our borders. The EU must thus be ready to rapidly respond to crises in full compliance with the UN charter. In addition to joint EU military capacities, this includes also the necessity to speed-up the deployment of civilian Missions whenever needed.
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency MSB was selected as the implementing operator and will set up the Warehouse in Kristinehamn, Sweden.
The warehouse will allow the EU's 10 civilian CSDP missions, 7 EU Special Representatives and enabling actions under Article 28 of the Treaty of the European Union, such as the stabilisation action in Central Mali, to benefit from a large number of support services. This includes vehicles, IT and communication equipment, protective and medical equipment to benefit from support services, and quickly resort to new and used equipment and assets, such as vehicles, IT and communication equipment, protective and medical equipment. The warehouse will also provide technical maintenance and repair facilities and by maintaining and replenishing a strategic stock of assets substantially improve the logistic support to EU crisis management.
Hilde Hardeman, Director and Head of Service of the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments said: "The strategic Warehouse project constitutes a game changer, enhancing both our preparedness and the rapidity of our reaction to crisis situations, while at the same time boosting the efficiency of our existing actions. This constitutes a concrete delivery on the vision of the EU Global Strategy."
Dan Eliasson, Director General of MSB said: "I am very proud and pleased that the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, MSB, has been given this assignment. Sweden and MSB is an important part of EU’s objective to strengthen peace and security in countries affected by crisis and conflict, stated Dan Eliasson, Director General at the MSB."
Rapid deployment capabilities matched by built-up in civilian experts
With a three year budget of approximately €50 million over 600 vehicles, up to 1600 laptop computers, transport services of the equivalent of over 800 shipping containers and many other essential assets such as medical or personal protective equipment can be made speedily available wherever needed.
The establishment of the Warehouse was accompanied by the build-up of a personnel pool enabling the rapid deployment also of pre-identified key civilian staff for civilian crisis-management Missions of the EU.
Background
Negotiations on the Warehouse II were driven forward in close cooperation between FPI, the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) and the Mission Support Division of the CPCC/EEAS.
The EU acts globally to increase human security and to stabilise our wider neighbourhood. 2,000 civilians are currently deployed in the ten civilian Missions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. They may be deployed far from home, but they contribute to also to the security inside the European Union. It is also thanks to our civilian Missions, that our partners around the world increasingly look at the European Union as a global security provider.
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Details
- Publication date
- 30 May 2018
- Author
- Service for Foreign Policy Instruments