European Peace Facility

Key facts:

• The European Peace Facility (EPF) is an off-budget funding mechanism for EU actions with military and defence implications under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It has a total budget of more than EUR 17 billion for the period 2021-2027.
• The EPF consists of two pillars – one for military operations and one for assistance measures.
• The support under the EPF is provided by an administrator for operations and by an administrator for assistance measures. The Head of Service, the FPI Director is the administrator for assistance measures, while the administrator for operations is within the Council General Secretariat.
• The administrators are responsible for the financial implementation of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military operations and of assistance measures. They do this under the EPF by providing financial, technical or material support with military or defence implications to third countries, regional or international organisations.
• The strategic orientation and political steer for operations and assistance measures to be funded under the EPF is provided by the Political and Security Committee (PSC) on the basis of the strategic priorities set by the European Council and the Council.
• The EPF is managed under the authority and direction of a Facility Committee responsible for adopting the EPF annual and amending budgets. The EPF Committee is composed of a representative of each EU Member State. It operates within the structures of the Council and is chaired by a representative of the rotating presidency of the Council.
• A College of Auditors is in charge of the external audit of revenue and expenditure as well as of the annual accounts of operations and assistance measures. The Auditors are appointed by the EPF Committee based on candidates proposed by the EU Member States.

The European Peace Facility (EPF) was established by Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/509 of 22 March 2021 on the basis of Articles 30(1) and 41(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).

The EPF finances CFSP actions with military and defence implications that will enhance the Union's ability to prevent conflicts, build peace, and strengthen international security. It covers an increased range of EU military missions and operations and it allows the EU to support partners on a global level, either bilaterally or through international or regional organisations. The Facility replaces the Athena mechanismand the African Peace Facility, which have ceased to exist, and has a global geographical reach.

The EPF has a total financial ceiling of more than EUR 17 billion for the period 2021-2027. As the EPF is an off-budget instrument, EU Member States pay their contributions directly every year, based on the estimated annual budget for the EPF.

Through the EPF, the EU has the possibility to provide military equipment to increase its partners’ security and defence capacity. In addition to training provided to partners, the EPF also allows the EU to provide equipment, subject to strict safeguards and control mechanisms. Respect of human rights and compliance with international humanitarian law are crucial and will be ensured at each step.

The EPF has a two-pillar structure articulated into operations and assistance measures. The operations pillar covers the common costs of military CSDP missions and operations. The assistance measures pillar finances the military aspects of Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and supports capacity building of partner countries and international organisations in military and defence matters.

Upon a proposal by the High Representative or a Member State, the Council of the European Union decides what kind of assistance and equipment can be supplied according to the needs of EU partners. It will assess the level of guarantees and safeguards for adequate use, respect of human rights and international humanitarian law as well as other criteria such as ownership, avoidance of diversion, traceability of equipment, local absorption capacity, and sustainability of the EU investment.

The Integrated Methodological Framework approved by the Council, outlines the safeguards and principles for compliance and control for the provision of military equipment. The EPF Committee, under whose authority and direction the Facility is managed, adopted its Rules of procedure and the Rules for the implementation of revenue and expenditure financed under the EPF.

The European Peace Facility is on the frontline in supporting the capabilities and resilience of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country, and protect the civilian population against the ongoing Russian military aggression. A total amount of EUR 6.1 billion has been approved under the EPF to provide military support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Out of this, EUR 5.77 billion, managed by the Administrator for Assistance Measures, cover the provision of lethal and non-lethal military equipment to Ukraine, including EUR 2 billion for the provision of 155-mm-calibre artillery rounds and missiles. Additionally, EUR 377 million, managed by the Administrator for Operations, were allocated for the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine (EUMAM), which has trained and equipped more than 40,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Additional EUR 5 billion under the newly established Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF) will allow supporting further the evolving needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the provision of both lethal and non-lethal military equipment and training.

The role of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments

The European Commission acts as administrator for assistance measures through its Service for Foreign Policy Instruments. The Commission also acts as accounting officer and internal auditor for assistance measures through the Directorate-General for Budget and the Internal Audit Service respectively. The administrator is in charge of the financial implementation of assistance measures.

European Peace Facility factsheet (click to see the full document) 

Access to documents held by the European Peace Facility

For the submission of requests for access to documents held by the European Peace Facility (EPF), please take into account that, according to the Council Decision establishing the Facility - (CFSP) 2021/509 of 22 March 2021, the latter consists of two pillars:

• the Operations pillar, managing certain costs of EU operations having military or defence implications, and
• the Assistance Measures pillar, managing actions to strengthen the capacities of third States, regional and international organisations relating to military and defence matters and support to military aspects of peace support operations led by a regional or international organisation or by third States.  The European Commission acts as the administrator for assistance measures through the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments.

For the most efficient handling of requests on access to documents held by the EPF, in line with the decision by the EPF Committee of 13 July 2022 on the rules for public access to documents held by the EPF (document ST 12346/2022 INIT), please refer to the following links:

• for documents concerning the Operations pillar of the EPF: If a document is not found in the Council of the EU's Register here Document register - Consilium (europa.eu), a request for access may be submitted here EPF [dot] operationsconsilium [dot] europa [dot] eu (EPF[dot]operations[at]consilium[dot]europa[dot]eu);
• for documents concerning the Assistance Measures pillar of the EPF: If a document is not found in the European Commission's Register here https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/, a request for access may be submitted here https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/index.cfm?fuseaction=fmb&language=en .