Europe in the world : working for peace, security and stability.
Date: 2011-07-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for External Relations
Subjects: Afghanistan, Africa, Colombia, EU relations, Georgia, Indonesia, Iraq, Middle East, Moldova, Western Balkans, conflict prevention, cooperation policy, international security

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ESDP_EN_070626  26/06/07  11:48  Page 1

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The EU – A global player in security

Prospect of EU membership fosters peace and stability in the Western Balkans

Promoting peace, security and governance in Africa

Ending the war of ideology and guns in Colombia 

Breaking the cycle of conflict, insecurity and poverty

Supporting the stabilisation of new democracies in neighbouring countries: the case of Georgia

The Middle East, a region in crisis

The EU and Iraq, building a plan for engagement

Blocking the road to terrorism

Afghanistan, a new start

Resolving conflict and unlocking economic development in Moldova

Indonesia, a long-term EU commitment to partnership and peace

The actors

Glossary

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(cid:129) Terrorism,  which  now  operates  worldwide,
is  increasingly  well  resourced  and  willing  to  use
unlimited violence to cause huge casualties. Often
linked  to  religious  extremism,  it  sees  Europe  as 
a  target  and  a  base  for  its  activities.  Logistical 
bases  for Al  Qaeda  cells  have  been  uncovered  in
the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain and Belgium.  

(cid:129) Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
is potentially the greatest threat to Europe’s security
despite  the  international  treaties  and  export 
controls that are in place to contain the spread of
such  weapons.  A  terrorist  group  acquiring  these
weapons may be able to inflict damage on a scale
previously possible only for States and armies.

(cid:129) Regional conflict in neighbouring countries or on
the  other  side  of  the  world  impacts  on  Europe’s 
stability.  It  can  lead  to  extremism,  terrorism  and
state failure. It provides opportunities for organised
crime and creates regional insecurity which in itself
can fuel the demand for weapons of mass destruction.

(cid:129) State failure because of civil conflict but also bad
governance  –  corruption,  abuse  of  power,  weak
institutions  and  lack  of  accountability  –  which 
corrode  the  State  from  within  allowing  organised
crime and terrorism to flourish. State failure under-
mines  global  governance  and  endangers  regional
security.

(cid:129) Organised  crime considers  Europe  as  one  of  its
prime targets. It involves cross-border trafficking in
drugs, women, illegal migrants and weapons. These
criminal gangs can have links with terrorism. They
thrive in weak or failing states. Income from their
illegal  activities  such  as  drugs  contributes  to  the
weakening of state structures and feeds conflict.

The  creation  of  the  European  Union  (EU)  brought 
a new period of peace and stability that was unprece-
dented in European history. By building close ties and
inter-dependence,  the  EU  made  another  major
European war impossible. 

The  EU  has  a  history  and  cultural  ties  that  gives 
it  links  with  every  part  of  the  world.  Now,  with 
27  states  and  over  490  million  people  producing  a
quarter of the world's Gross National Product (GNP),
it has no choice but to be a global player. 

‘Europe still faces security threats and 
challenges. The outbreak of conflict in 
the Balkans was a reminder that war has
not disappeared from our continent. 
Over the last decade, no region of 
the world has been untouched by armed
conflict. Most of these conflicts have been
within rather than between states, and
most of the victims have been civilians…
Europe should be ready to share in the
responsibility for global security and in
building a better world.’ 

The European Security Strategy

Key threats

Today’s  world  offers  greater  prospects  than  ever
before but also greater threats. 

The  traditional  concept  of  self-defence  –  up  to  and
including the Cold War – based on the threat of inva-
sion is outdated. Large-scale aggression against any
one EU Member State is improbable. 

The  current  security  threats  are  more  diverse,  less 
visible and less predictable. In the era of globalisation,
the  first  line  of  defence  may  be  in  another  country
and not on Europe’s borders.

The  European  Security  Strategy  (ESS),  adopted  by
Heads  of  State  and  government  in  December  2003,
identified five key security threats for Europe today.

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‘The EU faces major challenges: managing
globalisation to our advantage, addressing
multifaceted threats to our security and 
stability, and strengthening the current 
international order based on the rule of 
law and multilateral institutions. 
All of this requires a strong EU, able to 
protect its interest on the international
stage, and to promote stability, prosperity,
democracy and human rights around the
world. We are a reliable partner, the world’s
biggest donor and an engine for reforms. 
EU citizens and our international partners
want the EU to play a greater role on the
international stage. We must continue to
make our foreign policy even more effective,
coherent and visible.’ 

Benita Ferrero-Waldner
Commissioner for External Relations 
and European Neighbourhood Policy

What does it mean for Europe? 

Conflict prevention and threat prevention cannot start
too early.

During the cold war, the threat to the EU’s security was
visible. In contrast, none of today’s threats are purely
military  and  none  can  be  tackled  by  purely  military
means. A cocktail of solutions is required. 

To meet this challenge, the European Security Strategy
said  that  Europe  has  to  become  more  active,  more
coherent and more capable.

(cid:129) More active means developing a culture that fosters
early, rapid, and when necessary, robust intervention
using  the  full  spectrum  of  the  EU’s  crisis  manage-
ment and conflict prevention measures. It means the
EU acts before there is a crisis with the right mixture
of  political,  diplomatic,  military,  civilian,  trade  and
development activities.

(cid:129) More  capable means  transforming  militaries  into
more  flexible,  mobile  forces  enabling  them  to
address  the  new  threats. 
Increased  defence
resources are necessary as well as more effective use
of resources through pooling and sharing of assets.

In addition, there must be a greater capacity to bring
on  board  civilian  resources  in  crisis  and  post  crisis 
situations  and  stronger  diplomatic  capability  and
improved  sharing  of  intelligence  among  Member
States and with partners to assess common threats.

(cid:129) More  coherent means  bringing  together  the  EU’s
different  resources  and  capabilities  that  impact  on
Europe’s security and on that of countries outside of
the EU. These include its some € 6 billion European
assistance programmes, military and civilian capabil-
ities from Member States and other instruments.

Working with partners 

The current security threats are world wide and inter-
dependent. The EU cannot deal with them on its own.
International cooperation is crucial. It works in partner-
ship  with  international  organisations  such  as  the
United Nations (UN), which has the primary responsi-
bility for maintaining international peace and security,
and regional groupings such as the African Union.  

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‘The quality of international society depends
on the quality of the governments that are
its foundation. The best protection for our
security is a world of well-governed demo-
cratic states. Spreading good governance,
supporting social and political reform, 
dealing with corruption and abuse of power,
establishing the rule of law and protecting
human rights are the best means of strength-
ening the international order. Trade and
development policies can be powerful tools
for promoting reform.’ 

Javier Solana
High Representative for the CFSP
Secretary-General of the Council

The  European  Security  Strategy  also  emphasises  the
transatlantic relationship. It states: ‘Acting together, the
EU and the USA can be a formidable force for good in
the world.’ 

Finally, it underlines the importance of closer relations
with Russia and developing strategic partnerships with
Japan, China, Canada and India. 

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In 2000, the EU opened up the prospect of eventual

EU  membership  to  the  five  Western  Balkan 
countries  of  Albania,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,
Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
and Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo under
UNSC Resolution 1244).

To prepare the way, the EU offered political, technical
and  financial  support.  For  their  part,  the  Western
Balkan  countries  had  to  embark  on  the  road 
to reform.

The  European  perspective  and  closer  cooperation
have  played  a  key  role  in  preventing  new  conflicts
from  erupting  in  the  region  and  in  promoting
reforms. The  EU’s ‘gravitational  pull’  has  proved  an
efficient conflict prevention strategy.

Following the accession of Bulgaria and
Romania to the EU in 2007, the Western
Balkan region is surrounded by EU countries.
The region’s security, stability and prosperity
have a direct impact on the EU.

The  EU’s  political  and  financial  influence  in  the
Western Balkans, including the prospect of eventual
EU  membership,  its  peacekeepers  and  its  police 
missions  in  the  region  have  combined  to  help 
maintain peace.

Balkans war spurred EU action

Some 25 million people live in the Western Balkans.
They comprise a mix of cultures and nationalities with
different  religious  affiliations  –  Orthodox,  Catholic
and  Islam.  Their  cultural  influences  range  from
Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian to Greek and Italian.

In  the  1990s,  the  Balkan  wars  that  erupted  in  the
region challenged the EU's ability to react adequately,
and spurred the development of its common foreign
and security policy. With war at its doorstep, Europe
was forced to act.

Supporting peace through cooperation 

Immediately  after  the  conflicts,  the  EU  helped  with
humanitarian and emergency aid. It cleared mines and
started the reconstruction of the region. In cooperation
with  other  donors,  it  rebuilt  the  damaged  houses,
schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure.

In  parallel,  it  fostered  reconciliation  and  facilitated
the return of refugees.

It  later  provided,  for  the  first  time  in  EU  history, 
military  and  police  forces  to  keep  the  peace  and 
prevent new outbreaks of conflict.

The  EU  then  turned  its  focus  to  reforms  that  will 
guarantee long-term stability in the region.

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Prospect of EU membership 
conditional on reform

In 1999, the EU designed what it called the Stabilisation
and Association process (SAp). It is the cornerstone of
its policy towards the region, representing a roadmap to
eventual EU membership.

The  idea  is  simple.  Under  the  SAp,  the  EU  would 
provide  political,  practical  and  financial  support  but
with conditions covering issues like democratic reform,
human  and  minority  rights,  refugee  return,  economic
reforms,  regional  cooperation  and  good-neighbourly
relations. For their part, the Western Balkan countries
would strive to meet these requirements.

Aware  that  fragile  institutions,  poor  administrative
capacity,  weak  rule  of  law  and  incomplete  political,
economic and social reforms were holding them back,
the Western Balkan countries agreed to this approach.

The  EU,  at  the  Thessaloniki  summit  in  June  2003, 
reiterated  its  commitment  to  the  countries  of  the
region and reinforced their European perspective.

It introduced what it called European Partnerships for
each country. These identify reform priorities and guide
each country on the steps it must take to progress. The
EU adopted the first group of European Partnerships in
2004. Updated partnerships were adopted in early 2006.
In  November  2006,  the  Commission  presented  a 
proposal  for  an  updated  European  Partnership  with
Montenegro,  which  proclaimed  its  independence  in
June 2006.

In addition to the aid package, the EU has opened its
market to almost all goods from the Western Balkans
without  setting  import  duties  or  maximum  limits. 
The  EU  is  already  the  region’s  most  important  trading
partner. The Western  Balkan  countries,  once  they  sign
Stabilisation and Association Agreements with the EU,
will open their markets to EU goods gradually and over
a longer period.

Since 1991, the EU has provided more than 
€ 7 billion in aid to the Western Balkans 
in addition to Member States’ bilateral 
contributions. For the period 2000 – 2006, 
the aid package totals € 4.65 billion.

The Western Balkan countries are using this
money to:
(cid:129) develop their institutions and introduce new

laws in line with EU norms;

(cid:129) reinforce their economies and create an environ-
ment that will nurture recovery and business
growth;

(cid:129) improve their police and legal systems’ ability 

to tackle crime;

(cid:129) develop an independent media and a robust

non-governmental sector;

(cid:129) facilitate the return of refugees;
(cid:129) move towards respect for minority rights and

combat racism and xenophobia.

Progress and challenges

The Western  Balkan  countries  have  made  substantial
progress.  All  are  carrying  out  major  reforms  of  their
their
institutions  and  gradually 
economies and improving security.

transforming 

But  there  is  also  a  downside.  Although  there  is  no
longer a risk of a major conflict throughout the region,
the  potential  for  inter-ethnic  tensions  remains.  There
are still many refugees and internally displaced people
who  have  not  returned  to  their  homes.  Prominent
indicted  war  criminals  are  still  at  liberty,  criminal 
networks  still  endanger  stability,  and  extremism  and
nationalism  still  mar  state  structures.  The  road  to
reform has started but still has a long way to go. Living
standards still remain low, poverty is widespread, and
unemployment  remains  high,  triggering  an  exodus  of
the young and the highly skilled from the region.

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Bringing EU membership closer

As  each  country  achieves  political  and  economic
reforms,  it  can  start  talks  with  the  EU  to  agree  a
Stabilisation  and Association Agreement  (SAA)  which
will pave the way for its eventual membership of the
Union.

But before the talks can start, the EU makes a rigorous
analysis  to  ensure  that  the  country  has  sufficiently 
progressed in areas such as democratic and economic
reform and regional cooperation.

The  SAA  provides  for  wide-ranging  cooperation
between  the  EU  and  the  partner  country  and  fosters
the  process  of  European  integration.  The  Agreement
establishes a framework for dialogue and promotes the
gradual creation of a WTO-compatible free trade area.
It  regulates  movement  of  workers,  freedom  of  estab-
lishment,  supply  of  services,  current  payments  and
movement  of  capital.  It  supports  the  progressive 
harmonisation of legislation and delineates enhanced
cooperation  methods. The  EU  provides  technical  and
financial  support  to  help  the  partner  country  imple-
ment the Agreement.

In  2001,  the  EU  signed  its  first  agreements  with  the
former Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia  and  Croatia.
The  SAA  with  Albania  was  signed  in  June  2006.
Negotiations  with  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  and
Montenegro are ongoing. As Serbia does not meet its
commitments on full cooperation with the International
Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the SAA
negotiations  with  this  country  are  on  hold.  The  EU
stressed its readiness to resume negotiations as soon as
full cooperation with the ICTY is achieved.

Croatia  applied  for  EU  membership  in  2003  and  the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia followed suit
and applied a year later.

The EU accepted Croatia as a candidate country for EU
membership  in  2004,  and  the  former  Yugoslav
Republic  of  Macedonia  in  2005.  Accession  negotia-
tions with Croatia began on 3 October 2005.

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Largest EU force deployed in Bosnia 
and Herzegovina

The EU launched the EUFOR ALTHEA military operation
in Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2004, taking
over from the NATO SFOR mission there.

ALTHEA  continues  to  be  the  largest  EU  operation. 
In  2006  it  comprised  over  6,000  troops  involving 
33 countries: 22 EU Member States and 11 non-members.

Its  job  is  to  oversee  compliance  of  the  1995  Dayton
peace  accord  that  ended  the  war  in  Bosnia  and
Herzegovina following the breakdown of the Yugoslav
state three years earlier, in 1992. Its key objectives are
to provide deterrence and to contribute to a safe and
secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But it
also has other crucial tasks, supporting the authorities
in their fight against organised crime 

ALTHEA  uses  NATO’s  assets  and  capabilities  to  carry
out  its  mission  under  a  permanent  arrangement
between the EU and the Alliance.

EUFOR ALTHEA fits into a broad EU engagement with
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  that  brings  together  military
and  civilian  means  and  maximises  synergies  between
security, political and economic measures. It has played
an  important  role  by  guaranteeing  a  safe  and  secure
environment and by providing reassurance to both the
population and authorities.

Strong EU police mission in parallel

The  European  Union  Police  Mission  (EUPM)  was  the
EU's first civilian crisis management operation when it
was launched in 2003 as a 500-strong mission following
on from a UN mission. The EUPM is working with police
forces across Bosnia and Herzegovina to upgrade the
skills of officers and equip the force to fight organised
crime.  It  aims  at  helping  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  to
create a modern, professional police force that repre-
sents all the country's constituent peoples and is able
to independently uphold the law.

In its first three years, EUPM has registered significant
achievements  in  developing  sustainable  policing
arrangements under Bosnia and Herzegovina's owner-
ship, including by contributing to the transformation of
the  State  Investigation  and  Protection  Agency  (SIPA)
...

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into  an  operational  police  agency  dealing  with  major
and  organised  crime,  to  the  development  of  other
state-level institutions such as the Ministry of Security
and  the  State  Border  Service  (SBS),  and  to  progress
towards  police  reform  with  the  Mission  playing  a  key
advisory role.

A new refocused and reinforced two-year mandate was
adopted for the EUPM at the end of 2005. From 2006,
the EUPM is based on three pillars: police restructuring,
inspecting  the  local  police  and  assisting  the  police  in
fighting organised crime.

The  EUPM  plays  a  key  role  in  the  police  reform  in
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  with  the  Head  of  Mission
being  a  member  of  the  Directorate  for  Police
Restructuring. The  mission  also  proactively  assists  the
local  police  in  planning  and  conducting  major  and
organised crime investigations. To this end, the EUPM
supports the consolidation of the SBS and the further
development of SIPA.

the 

coordination  of 

The EUPM also cooperates closely with EUFOR ALTHEA
under 
the  EU  Special
Representative  in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  and  with
other actors on the ground in the fight against organ-
ised crime and other aspects of the rule of law.

The EUPM headquarters are in Sarajevo. The new EUPM
mission  has  around  170  police  officers  coming  from
most of the EU Member States and from nine non-EU
countries, and over 200 support staff from Bosnia and
Herzegovina.

EU launched first military mission followed
by an EU policing mission

In March 2003, the EU launched the Concordia mission in
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, its first-ever
military operation. It did this at the request of the government
and with the backing of the UN Security Council.

The mission took over from NATO which had been there
since  the  signing  of  the  Ohrid  Framework Agreement  in
2001,  which  ended  hostilities  between  ethnic  Albanian
armed groups and the country’s security forces.

Twenty-seven  countries  –  13  EU  Member  States  and 
14  non-members  –  contributed  some  350  lightly  armed
military personnel to the mission.

The progress made in the stabilisation of the country led
to  the  end  of  Concordia  in  December  2003. An  EU-led
policing mission known as Proxima followed on.

High Representative Javier Solana explained at the time,
‘As the main threat to stability is no longer armed conflict
but  criminality,  the  emphasis  of  our  support  must  be
police and not military.’

The 175-strong EU police force monitored, mentored and
advised the country’s police to help fight organised crime
and promote European policing standards from December
2003 until December 2005.

After the end of Proxima, the EU remains highly committed
to the reform of the police in the former Yugoslav Republic
of  Macedonia.  An  EU  Police  Advisory  Team  supported 
the  development  of  an  efficient  and  professional  police
service for a further six months. A CARDS-funded twinning
project has been launched in November 2005 to help the
Ministry of Interior to implement the reform. 

EU preparing for enhanced role in Kosovo

Pursuant  to  UN  Security  Council  Resolution  1244, 
a  process  to  determine  the  future  status  of  Kosovo  was
launched  at  the  beginning  of  November  2005  with  the
appointment  of  the  UN  Status  Envoy,  Martti  Ahtisaari. 
The UN will remain fully engaged in Kosovo until the end
of Resolution 1244.

The joint reports on the future EU role and contribution in
Kosovo, presented by the EU High Representative and the
European  Commissioner  for  Enlargement  in  December
2005  and  July  2006,  highlight  that  following  the  status
settlement,  the  EU  will  play  a  leading  role  in  Kosovo, 
particularly in areas such as the rule of law and police as
well as in certain economic areas.

In this context, the EU is envisaging a possible EU crisis
management  operation  in  the  field  of  rule  of  law  and 
possible other areas in Kosovo under the European security
and Defence Policy. An EU planning team (EUPT Kosovo)
was established from this perspective in April 2006.

In  September  2006,  the  Council  also  established  an  EU
team to work together with the international community
and the Kosovo institutions, and in close coordination with
UNMIK, in preparation for a future international civilian mis-
sion in Kosovo.

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Strengthening  democracy,  the  rule  of  law
and human rights

Two examples in focus

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An  EU-funded  project  has  focused  on  developing  the
policing  of  Croatia’s  extensive  frontier,  which  totals
over  2,000  km.  It  resulted  in  a  new  law  on  border 
protection  adopted  by  the  Croatian  parliament  in
October  2003. The  project  secured  extra  EU  funds  to
rebuild  premises  in  the  Police  Training  Academy  for 
customs officials (60 rooms for trainees). It also drew
up a priority list of equipment that staff at all border
crossing points need in order to do their job properly. 
It redefined border police roles to make the force more
effective  and  a  recruitment  drive  has  started.  In  the
meantime, it trained existing and new staff in effective
border  controls.  Internal  auditing  teams  are  now  in
place  checking  how  each  customs  house  around  the
country is operating.

As  part  of  a  long-term  strategy  to  develop  Public
Internal Financial Control (PIFC), the EU is working with
the Albanian Ministry of Finance to lay the foundation
for a more robust internal audit system. They produced
a manual of audit procedures and adopted new ‘internal
audit’  legislation. They  renovated  and  refurbished  the
Ministry  of  Finance  building  that  houses  the  internal
audit  unit.  With  IT  equipment  in  place  to  carry  out
effective financial controls, they trained auditors to use
the technology and understand the new standards.

The years of war, low incomes and erosion of public insti-
tutions  have  opened  the  way  for  crime  and  corruption.
Organised  crime  networks  in  the Western  Balkans  have
become  well  established,  highly  violent  and  increasingly
international.

These countries are often used as a staging post for drug
and  human  traffickers,  money  launderers  and  smugglers
(e.g. of cigarettes and firearms).

Corruption in the region is also widespread. Low pay as
well  as  inadequate  financial  control  and  anti-fraud 
systems  increase  the  susceptibility  of  public  administra-
tions to both petty and substantive corruption in all five
countries.

In addition, there is the problem of illegal migration. The
main problem is the way local criminal groups use these
countries as a transit route for smuggling immigrants into
the EU from other areas like the Middle East and Asia.

An estimated 100,000 illegal immigrants per year come
to the EU from the Balkans but only some 15 % originate
from the region itself.

Although  there  are  variations  between  the  Western
Balkan countries, none are immune to these problems.

With EU support, these countries are working to improve
their  judicial  systems  and  border  controls,  and  become
more effective in fighting crime and corruption.

They  have  introduced  new  enforcement  laws  and  have
used EU aid to train judges and prosecutors in areas such
as  organised  crime  and  money  laundering  as  well  as  in
ethics and human rights. They are improving their civil and
criminal  procedures  to  deal  faster  and  more  efficiently
with cases, and have computerised their courts and rebuilt
their prisons.

The  EU  is  also  equipping  the  Interpol  bureaus  in  the
region  to  give  real-time  access  to  databases  of  photo-
graphs  or  fingerprints  of  wanted  persons,  or  details  of
stolen property such as vehicles or works of art.

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Promoting regional cooperation – a question
of common sense

Regional cooperation in the Balkans is the only option to
consolidate  political  stability,  promote  reconciliation  and
speed  up  economic  growth.  Instability  in  one  country
could  have  a  domino  effect  in  the  others.  The  region's
economies  are  small  and  still  fragile,  making  many
investors shy away.

The  Western  Balkans  face  similar  challenges:  post-war
reconciliation,  refugee  return,  inter-ethnic  tensions,
ingrained  organised  crime,  corruption  and  economic
underdevelopment.  Working  together,  they  can  better
address these and other challenges, such as energy short-
ages, pollution and inadequate transport infrastructures.

The EU is a strong advocate of regional cooperation and
has  made  it  an  important  part  of  its  Stabilisation  and
Association process with these countries. It believes closer
regional  links  can  help  heal  the  wounds  of  the  Balkan
wars of the 1990s and support economic development by
providing a bigger economic space for potential investors
and local businesses. Regional cooperation is a necessary
complement, not a substitute to the region's integration
into the EU.

The EU has allocated over € 220 million for 2000–2006
for  regional  programmes.  Over  half  of  this  money  is  for
cross-border  cooperation  and  developing  infrastructures
across the region. The other priorities are fighting organ-
ised  crime  and  corruption,  public  administration  reform
and boosting economic growth.

Some of the results

In December 2006 a free trade area covering South East
Europe was established by the signing of an extended and
amended  Central  European  Free  Trade  Agreement
(CEFTA). This  single  regional  trade  agreement  builds  on
the  network  of  32  bilateral  free  trade  agreements 
between  the  countries  of  the  region  which  had  been

concluded  since  2001.  The  new  agreement  will  boost
trade  and  attract  investment.  For  the  candidate  and
potential  candidate  countries  of  the  Western  Balkans,
CEFTA  is  a  stepping  stone  towards  the  closer  economic
cooperation, which is an inevitable part of membership of
the European Union.

In  October  2005  the  EU  and  countries  of  South  East
Europe – including the Western Balkans – signed a treaty
creating a regional Energy Community between them. The
treaty entered into force in May 2006.

The  EU  has  funded  a  € 2.45  million  study  (known  as
REBIS-Transport) in close cooperation with local adminis-
trations to look at transport networks across the region.
The  study  identified  bottlenecks,  including  border  cross-
ings, and produced costings for upgrading the network to
EU standards. Senior officials from across the region meet
regularly within a steering committee aiming at developing
the regional core network And with EU support, they set
up  a  joint  technical  office  –  the  South  East  Europe
Transport Observatory – to support cooperation between
the ministries involved.

The EU-funded Customs and Fiscal Administration Offices
(CAFAO)  across  the  region  are  helping  improve  the
national  customs  controls  of  the  five  Western  Balkan
countries. Through their work, national customs authorities
have  been  better  able  to  fight  the  trafficking  of  illegal
goods  across  and  between  these  countries,  and  ensure
that legal traffic pays legitimate duties. EU experts work
alongside customs officers on the ground and managers
in national administrations. Task forces are being set up to
develop  intelligence,  mobile  anti-smuggling  and  investi-
gation components. Confidence in fighting large-scale tax
and customs fraud and corruption is growing as prosecution
cases are better prepared. Staff management and career
development  policies  are  raising  efficiency  and  reducing
the  risk  of  fraud  and  corruption  that  weakens  customs
services. For the longer term, the five countries will intro-
duce  new  customs  laws  in  line  with  EU  standards,  and
computerised  systems  to  allow  modern  processing  of 
customs clearance.

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Africa  is  changing.  For  many  years,  Africa  has

been  perceived  as  a  sea  of  undifferentiated
poverty  and  conflict;  today's Africa  disproves
this distorted image. Development, security, govern -
ance and human rights are the driving forces behind
this change. As the ongoing struggle and the tremen-
dous  challenges  that  remain  underline,  there  is  no
security without development; development will not
happen without security; and a society cannot enjoy
or sustain either in the longer term without respect
for human rights and the rule of law.

The  African  Union  (AU)  itself  is  in  many  ways  the
most  eloquent  testimony  of  that  progress.  African
leaders  at  their  summit  meeting  in  Durban  in  2002
agreed to set up the AU. They gave this new organ -
isation a mandate in conflict prevention and the pro-
motion  of  good  governance.  It  can  intervene  in  the
internal  affairs  of  its  member  countries  in  cases  of
genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity. The
specific task of resolving conflicts throughout Africa
was  attributed  to  the  Peace  and  Security  Council,
which comprises 15 elected member countries repre-
senting Africa's regions. In addition, the AU decided
to  set  up  a  'Panel  of  the Wise',  a  Continental  Early
Warning  System  (CEWS)  and  an  African  Standby
Force (ASF).

The  AU's  political  credibility  depends  much  on  its
capacity  to  thrash  out  African  solutions  when 
confronted with problems on their continent. It is still
a  young  institution  with  limited  resources  to  deal
with  the  numerous  crises  taking  place  and  working
under  great  operational  pressure.  But  to  achieve  its
mandate,  the AU  still  needs  international  assistance
to  tip  the  balance  from  war  to  peace.  The  EU  is 
providing  such  support  through  the  African  Peace
Facility  (APF),  combined  with  the  European  Security
and Defence Policy (ESDP) military and civilian crisis
management  instruments  and  substantial  bilateral
contributions from EU Member States.

The European Union's Strategy for Africa

In response to the changing Africa, the EU ushered in
a new era in EU-African relations in December 2005
as  it  adopted  a  bold  long-term  strategy  for  Africa,
rounding off a year in which the international com-
munity and, in particular the EU, had put Africa high
on the political agenda.

The strategy is a framework for action for the EU, the
European  Commission,  and  the  Member  States  to
strengthen  the  EU/Africa  partnership  and  support

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Africa's  efforts  to  attain  the  UN  Millennium
Development  Goals  (MDGs).  It  is  a  strategic  partner-
ship for security and development between the EU and
Africa  for  the  coming  decade,  promoting  political 
stability, economic growth and poverty reduction.

The strategy focuses on key requirements for sustain-
able  development  such  as  peace  and  security,  good
governance,  trade,  interconnectivity,  social  cohesion
and environmental sustainability. It also reaffirms the
commitment  to  increase  EU  aid  to  Africa  and  to
improve  aid  effectiveness.  Peace  and  stability  are
essential  for Africa's  development,  and  they  are  also 
in  Europe's  interest:  challenges  in  fields  like  respect 
for human rights, migration, environmental protection,
energy  supply  and  the  fight  against  terrorism  can 
only  be  effectively  tackled  in  a  stable  and  peaceful
environment.

The EU is developing a new quality of partnership with
Africa  under  the  Strategy,  showing  that  it  is  serious
about  strong  political  cooperation  based  on  equality,
African  ownership  and  mutual  accountability. The  EU
does  not  aim  to  replace  the  African  countries'  own
efforts  but  rather  to  build  on  these  efforts  and 
to  enhance  their  own  capacities  and  promote  good
governance.

Work  began  in  early  2006  to  put  in  place  various 
concrete  projects  proposed  under  the  Strategy. These
include:
(cid:129) the  Euro-African  Partnership  for  Infrastructure  and 
Networks, promoting continental and regional intercon-
nection  to  boost  regional  trade,  integration,  stability
and development;

(cid:129) the  EU  Governance  Initiative,  providing  assistance  for
the implementation of governance reforms proposed by
the Africa  Peer  Review  Mechanism,  a  unique  tool  for
peer  review  and  learning  in  good  democratic  govern -
ance by and for Africans;

(cid:129) the  Euro-African  Business  Forum,  bringing  together
entrepreneurs  and  public  and  private  investors  from
Europe and Africa;

(cid:129) the  Nyerere  programme,  for  the  exchange  of  students
and  the  promotion  of  poles  of  excellence  across  the
continent;

(cid:129) the  European  Union  concept  for  strengthening African
capabilities for the prevention, management and reso-
lution of conflicts;

(cid:129) an  enhanced  political  dialogue  which  should  lead, 
among other outcomes, to a joint EU/Africa Strategy.

The African Peace Facility

The € 250 million African Peace Facility (APF) is one
of the EU's newest and most innovative instruments
for external action. It was created in response to a
request to the EU from the July 2003 AU Summit in
Maputo  to  set  up  an  instrument  in  support  of
African leadership in the area of peace and security.
The APF, established in mid-2004, was designed to
support  the  emerging  new  structures  collectively
known as the African 'continental peace and security
architecture', and to allow African regional and sub-
regional organisations to take responsibility for, and
effectively  carry  out,  peace  support  operations
(PSOs).

The APF, built on the three core principles of African
ownership,  solidarity  and  partnership  between
Africa and Europe, was endowed with €  250 mil-
lion  from  the  development  resources  of  the  9th
European Development Fund (EDF) in order to sup-
port peace and security as central preconditions for
sustainable  development  in  Africa.  Of  this  €  250
million,  €  200  million  was  earmarked  for  PSOs, 
€ 35 million for capacity-building purposes and the
remaining € 15 million for audits, evaluations and
contingencies.

The APF  has  rapidly  become  the  financial  founda-
tion  of  Africa's  peace  and  security  architecture. 
It  has  been  used  to  fund  the  efforts  of  the  Force
Multinationale  en  Centrafrique  (FOMUC)  of  the
Communauté économique et monétaire de l'Afrique
centrale  (CEMAC)  in  the  Central  African  Republic
and the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) as well as to
provide  capacity-building  support  for  the  AU.  The
bulk of the funds used for PSOs has been absorbed
by  the  AMIS  operation,  with  a  total  amount  of
€ 212 million.

The  EU  support  has  not  only  contributed  to  the
improvement  of  the  overall  security  situation  in
Sudan's  Darfur  region,  but  has  also  served  to
strengthen  the  AU's  leadership  role  on  the  conti-
nent. In the future the EU will continue funding APF
with an amount of € 300 million under the 10th EDF
for an initial three-year period (2008–2010).

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Security

Progress is being made towards political stability and
democracy. Compared with a decade ago, the number
of violent conflicts has dropped dramatically. Africans
are taking ownership of the peace and security agenda.

Largely  thanks  to  the AU  and  the  regional  economic
communities, Africa  today  is  doing  better  to  manage
and resolve conflicts and, most importantly, to prevent
new  ones  from  breaking  out.  The  AU  Peace  and

Security  Council  has  proved  itself  a  decisive  driving
force. The AU  is  strengthening  its  capacity  for  peace
keeping and peace building, and has been developing
strong partnerships with the UN and the EU as well as
with sub-regional organisations.

The AU has successfully concluded the mandate of the
first  African  Peacekeeping  Mission  in  Burundi.  It  has
overcome enormous obstacles to deploy 7,000 soldiers
and  police  in  Darfur,  intervening  in  one  of  the  worst
conflicts in recent history.

Darfur – EU support to AMIS

The  ongoing  crisis  in  Darfur  –  which  the  UN  has
described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis –
has claimed an estimated 200-400,000 lives and dis-
placed close to 2 million people since February 2003
when  it  erupted.  The  AU-led  mission  in  the  area
(AMIS)  is  struggling  to  monitor  the  often-broken
ceasefire between the Government of Sudan, which
uses Arab  Janjaweed  militias,  and  the  rebel  forces.
Massacres and rapes continue in the region despite
international condemnation.

The EU provides wide-ranging support to the AU in
its efforts to stabilise the situation in Darfur. The EU
supported  AMIS  from  the  start,  with  the  African
Peace Facility providing € 212 million to the mission
up  to  2006.  EU  member  governments  also  con-
tributed cash and support on a bilateral basis, bring-
ing the total EU contribution to nearly € 300 million. 

In April 2005, the AU agreed to increase the number
of peacekeepers to 7,600 (of whom 1,600 are civil-
ian  police  officers  and  700  military  observers). The
EU  stepped  up  its  support  accordingly.  It  provided
equipment, planning and technical assistance for the
military component of ‘AMIS II’, as well as additional
military  observers,  training  and  transport.  On  the
police side, the EU also supported training and the
development of a police unit within the secretariat
of the AU. Almost 100 personnel from the EU and its
Member  States  have  been  deployed  to  Sudan  in 
support  of  the  military  component  of  AMIS  and  a 
further 50 in support of the civilian police component.

The mandate of the AMIS mission was due to expire
at  the  end  of  September  2006,  and  the  EU  made
clear  that  it  was  ready  to  support  the AU  and  the
United  Nations  in  the  possible  transition  to  a  UN
operation in Darfur.

In the knowledge that there can be no military solu-
tion  to  the  Darfur  conflict,  the  EU  provides  strong
political and diplomatic backing for the peace talks
that take place in Abuja, Nigeria, under the aegis of
the AU.

The  EU  has  helped  finance  diplomatic  efforts  to
bring  all  sides  back  to  the  negotiating  table  to
resume talks for a political reconciliation.

The  EU  appointed, 
in  July  2005,  a  Special
Representative for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto of Finland,
replaced in 2007 by Torben Brylle of Denmark, to bolster
efforts to achieve a political settlement of the Darfur
conflict  in  coordination  with  the  AU,  as  well  as  to
ensure the maximum effectiveness of the EU’s con-
tribution to AMIS and support implementation of the
CPA. The Special Representative also helps the EU to
keep  a  close  watch  on  any  other  potential  regional
instability in  Sudan  that  would  need  preventive
action  from  the  Sudan  Government  or  the  interna-
tional community.

The  EU  co-hosted  conferences  on  Darfur  in  March
and July 2006 in Brussels in cooperation with the AU
and the UN.

In the same period, EU Member States have provided
co-ordinated  strategic  airlifts  for  well  over  2,000 
AU personnel.

In  total,  the  EU  and  the  Member  States  have 
contributed over € 600 million towards alleviating
and resolving the Darfur conflict.

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Nigeria and Cameroon demonstrated exceptional leader-
ship when they reached agreement on ways to implement
a settlement of the four-decade-long dispute over the
Bakassi peninsula.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is holding the first
free and fair elections in its history as an independent
nation. Burundi and Liberia recently went to the polls,
after years of devastating conflict.

In  2005  and  2006  a  number  of  presidential  and/or 
legislative  elections  took  place,  as  did  important 

referendums. Tanzania and Benin joined Mozambique
in  the  still  limited,  but  growing,  number  of  countries
enjoying  a  peaceful  passage  of  presidential  powers. 
In  Uganda,  voters  approved  the  re-establishment  of
the multi-party system.

However, the conflicts in Darfur, Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia
and  northern  Uganda  continue  to  outrun  the  joint
efforts  for  a  solution.  It  is  all  the  more  important  to
remain engaged in supporting delicate political transition
phases and peace negotiations in these countries.

EU support to the transition in the Democratic
Republic of Congo

(cid:129) The  EU  has  been  actively  involved  in  the  search  for  a
lasting  solution  of  conflicts  in  the African  Great  Lakes
region. On several occasions, High Representative Javier
Solana  and  Commissioner  Louis  Michel  played  an
important role in moving the transition process forward,
passing  crucial  junctures  and  mobilising  international
support.  The  EU  Special  Representative  for  the  Great
Lakes  region, Aldo Ajello,  has  been  in  regular  contact
with all key stakeholders, on the ground since 1996, in
close cooperation with the European Commission dele-
gation in the DRC. The EU is also a member of the inter-
national committee (CIAT) supporting the transition.

(cid:129) The  European  Community's  cooperation  with  the  DRC
was  resumed  in  2002  under  the  Cotonou Agreement.
The  Commission’s  indicative  programme  2003-2007
aims to fight poverty and provide institution building and
macro-economic  support.  Since  2002,  these  priorities
have  been  funded  with  some  € 750  million.  Looking
towards  the  next  indicative  programme  for  the  period
2008-2013,  the  Commission  will  aim  to  build  on  the
election process with support for governance and secu-
rity sector reform, including judicial reform. 

(cid:129) The  EU  is  preparing  a  number  of  projects  that  will  help
deliver a post-election democracy dividend for the citizens
of  the  DRC,  including  key  infrastructure  projects  and 
a large linking relief and development project in the East
of  the  DRC. A  similar  exercise  of  defining ‘quick  impact
projects’  is  currently  under  way  as  regards  the  bilateral
cooperation of EU Member States with the DRC. 

(cid:129) The European Community support for the election process
in the DRC stands at € 149 million, making it the largest
Community contribution  ever  to  an  election  process.
Together with € 100 million of bilateral support provided
by Member  States,  this  amounts  to  € 250  million 
(US$ 320 million), or nearly 80% of the overall costs for the
elections.  

(cid:129) In  addition  to  technical  expertise  in  the  delegation  in
Kinshasa,  the  EU  is  deploying  a  large  Election
Observation  Mission  (EOM).  On  the  election  days,
about 300 EU observers will have been deployed across
the country. 

(cid:129) In June 2003 the EU sent 2,000 peace-keeping troops
to  Ituri  in  the  north-east  of  the  DRC.  Operation
ARTEMIS  was  the  first  military  deployment  outside
Europe  and  without  NATO  assistance.  The  EU  was
responding to an appeal by the UN Secretary General
to take over the UN’s peacekeeping operation in Bunia,
Ituri, for three months until September 2003, when a
larger UN force would be in place.

(cid:129) In April  2006,  the  Council  decided  on  an  EU  military
operation  in  support  of  MONUC  during  the  election
process,  in  response  to  a  UN  request.  Code-named
EUFOR  RD  Congo,  the  military  operation  has  been
deployed  in  accordance  with  the  mandate  set  out  in
United  Nations  Security  Council  Resolution  1671
(2006) (see EUFOR RD Congo box).

(cid:129) In parallel to the UN's request of supporting MONUC
during the upcoming elections, the EU has decided to
temporarily  reinforce  EUPOL  Kinshasa  by  an  extra 
38 personnel. The aim is to support the coordination of
the  Congolese  crowd  control  units  in  the  city  of
Kinshasa.

(cid:129) The  EU  mission  for  DRC  security  reform  (EUSEC  RD
CONGO), launched in June 2005, provides advice and
assistance to the Congolese Defence authorities while
ensuring the promotion of policies that are compatible
with  human  rights  and  humanitarian  law,  democratic
standards,  principles  of  good  public  management,
transparency  and  observance  of  the  rule  of  law. 
The mission's experts are assigned to key posts within
the Congolese administration. 

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EUFOR  RD  Congo  –  contributing  to  a  stable
environment for the elections

The  military  operation  EUFOR  RD  Congo,  which  was
conducted in close coordination with the DRS authori-
ties  and  MONUC,  the  UN's  mission  in  the  DRC,  was
welcomed unanimously by a decision of the Congolese
transitional  government.  Its  deployment  had  been
authorised by a UN Security Council Resolution.

EUFOR  RD  Congo  included  around  2,300  personnel
deployed in the area of operation:
(cid:129) an advance element of military personnel deployed in
Kinshasa. Based mostly in Camp N'Dolo, as well as at
N'Djili airport, it numbered about 1,100 troops and
included air assets;

(cid:129) a  battalion-sized  ‘on-call’  force  available  over  the
horizon,  quickly  deployable  if  necessary.  This  force,
ready to be deployed upon decision by the EU, was
based in Gabon and numbered about 1,200 personnel.

The  operation  was  tailored  to  provide  a  timely  and
robust  response  in  support  of  MONUC's  efforts  to 
stabilise the situation.

The  EU  Operations  Headquarters  (OHQ)  was  estab-
lished  in  Potsdam,  Germany.  Lieutenant-General
Karlheinz  Viereck  (Germany)  was  the  Operation
Commander.  Major-General  Christian  Damay  (France)
was  the  Force  Commander  in  Kinshasa.  A  total  of 
20 EU Member States, as well as Turkey, participated in
the operation. Several of them participate through the

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actual  provision  of  troops  on  the  ground  in  the  area  of
operation  (notably  France,  Germany  –  the  two  largest
troop  contributors  –  Spain,  Poland,  Belgium,  Sweden,
Italy,  Portugal,  the  Netherlands  and  Finland,  as  well  as
Turkey).

Operation EUFOR RD Congo was of limited duration in the
second half of 2006, covering especially the electoral period.
The mission was completed in November 2006.

In  parallel  with  the  operation,  additional  EU  support  is
provided  in  the  field  of  police.  The  EU's  police  mission
EUPOL Kinshasa, established in April 2005, has been re -
inforced  temporarily  for  a  duration  of  up  to  five  months 
covering  the  electoral  period  to  enhance  stability in
Kinshasa  by  improving  coordination  between  the  PNC
(Police nationale congolaise) specialised units in charge of
maintaining or restoring public order in the capital.

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Governance

Without  decisive  progress  on  governance,  the  MDGs
will  not  be  achieved.  The  political  will  for  reform  in
political, economic, social, cultural and environmental
governance is more and more present in Africa. Both
African  governments  and  civil  society  are  aware  that
public institutions that are efficient and accountable to
citizens  are  crucial  to  consolidate  democratic  gover-
nance  and  sustainable  development  processes.
Important  changes  are  under  way  and  tangible
progress has been made:

(cid:129) the  African  Peer  Review  Mechanism  (APRM)  is  a
genu inely  African  initiative  in  the  area  of  gover-
nance.  It  is  a  participatory  self  assessment  process
for  encouraging  reforms  at  country  level,  mutual
learning  and  strengthening  ownership  Ghana  and
Rwanda  are  the  farthest  along  in  the  process  and
reviews  are  underway  in  other  countries  such  as
Kenya, Mauritius and the South African Republic*; 
(cid:129) more  than  half  of  the  20  countries  participating  in
the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)
are in sub-Saharan Africa;

* Civil society engagement is increasing and is rather well developed in Ghana, Benin, Lesotho, Mali, Rwanda, Uganda and Senegal.

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(cid:129) under  the  Kimberley  Process  Certification  Scheme,
launched in 2003 to prevent raw diamond production
from  fuelling  conflicts,  19  country  reports  had  been
produced by the end of 2005;

(cid:129) the upholding of civil rights and liberties has improved
in  several  countries  which  were  very  fragile  at  the
beginning  of  the  decade. Algeria,  Nigeria  and  South
Africa can be mentioned among others; 

(cid:129) the election of the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf, also speaks eloquently about advances in the
rights  of  women.  So,  does  the  fact  that,  in  sub-
Saharan countries, the share of women in single or
lower  houses  of  parliament  is  higher  than  in  the
developing countries of southern or western Asia;

(cid:129) there is progress in building a more effective bureau-
cracy  and  public  financial  management.  Countries
such  as  Benin,  Burkina  Faso,  Mali,  Tanzania  and
Uganda are some of the good examples in this regard;
(cid:129) several countries have adopted freedom of informa-
tion laws. South Africa enacted a comprehensive law
in 2001, and many countries in southern and central
Africa are following suit.

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EU  initiatives  in  support  of  governance  – 
the  Governance  Initiative  for  ACP  countries
and Africa

Promoting democratic governance and supporting partner
countries' efforts is an integral part of cooperation strategies.
Respect  for  ownership,  dialogue  between  partners  and
focus  on  incentives  for  result-oriented  reforms  are  the
main  principles  of  our  common  approach  in  the  broader
context of poverty reduction and sustainable development
objectives. 

The Governance Initiative is a concrete and innovative way
of implementing this policy in the context of the partner-
ship with the ACP countries and Africa. 

The  Governance  Initiative  is  first  of  all  a  new  incentive
mechanism that will give ACP partner countries access to
additional  funding,  according  to  their  commitments  to
achieve  concrete  results  in  their  democratic  governance
reform programmes. A figure of € 2.7 billion from the 10th
European  Development  Fund  will  be  reserved  for  such
incentives.

Secondly,  through  the  Governance  Initiative,  the  EU  will
also provide political and financial support for the African
Peer Review Mechanism, with due regard for the African
countries’  ownership  of  the  process. The  EU  is  ready  to
continue  support  to  the  process  and  the  reforms  it 
generates at the national level.

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Economic Development 

to  continue 

The economic perspectives for much of Africa continue to
be more favourable than they have been for many years.
The  OECD  forecasts  that  the African  economy  will  con -
tinue growing by 5-6% in 2007. While oil-exporting coun-
tries  are  expected 
to  outperform 
oil-importers,  these  have  proved  remarkably  robust
despite the rising oil prices. Thus, despite continued seri-
ous  economic  problems  in  some  cases,  more  than 
25  African  countries  are  projected  to  have  real  GDP
growth  rates  of  4%  or  higher  in  2006  and  2007. 
As a result, in the low-income countries of sub-Saharan
Africa, per capita GDP growth reached an estimated 3%
for  the  third  straight  year  in  2006.  This  is  a  marked
improvement  on  the  1997-2003  sub-Saharan  Africa
growth average of about 1.1%.

These growth trends have been underpinned by continued
global expansion and sustained gains in macro-economic
stability.

in  oil  prices. 

Inflation,  in  particular,  remains  at  historically  low  levels,
although African  countries'  average  rate  is  estimated  by
the IMF to rise slightly to 10.6% in 2007, mainly due to
the  surge 
Internal  and  external 
balances  have  benefited  from  the  increase  in  official
development  aid  to Africa,  primarily  in  the  form  of  debt
relief.  In  the  framework  of  the  Heavily  Indebted  Poor
Countries Initiative (HIPC), debt reduction packages have
been  approved  for  24  African  countries  and  a  total  of 
34 sub-Saharan Africa countries qualify for support.

Nevertheless,  while  growth  trends  are  favourable  and
progress towards the MDGs is being achieved in several
cases,  at  the  current  pace  most  of  the  countries  of 
sub-Saharan Africa will not meet the MDGs. In particular,
only three countries have achieved a 50% reduction in the
percentage of people suffering from hunger and only 14
more are on track for doing so by 2015.

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Colombia has been at war for over 40 years. On

one  side  are  the  left-wing  guerrilla  groups,
principally  the  Revolutionary Armed  Forces  of
Colombia  (FARC)  and  the  National  Liberation Army
(ELN). On the other, are the right-wing paramilitaries,
led  by  the  United  Self-Defence  Forces  of  Colombia
(AUC), which were originally created to counter guer-
rilla insurgency groups.

Both sides have used indiscriminate violence, kidnap-
pings  and  killings  in  their  attempt  to  control  the
countryside and the huge profits that they can make
from illegal drug production in a country that is the
world’s  major  cocaine  producer. They  have  depopu-
lated entire areas to control strategic routes. 

As a result of the violence, Colombia boasts one of the
largest  displaced  populations  in  the  world  totalling
thousands  of  people  every  year.  It  is  also  one  of  the
countries with the highest level of human rights abuses
– tortures, kidnappings and disappearances.

For the EU, as with all the international community,
the  main  objective  is  to  bring  peace  to  the  country
while recognising that controlling the drugs trade is
an integral part of the solution.

The EU’s offer for peace

The EU has taken a three-pronged approach to promote
the peace process. It uses diplomacy, aid and trade. 

Although  it  is  not  directly  involved  in  mediation, 
it gives political and sometimes financial support to
existing peace initiatives. It has done so in the past
with those led by the UN Secretary General, funded
by  the  EU,  and 
led  by  the  OAS
initiatives 
(Organization  of  American  States),  by  the  Mexican
Government and the Group of Friends countries, and
the Catholic Church.

The EU also supports Colombian government efforts
to  engage  in  peace  talks  with  the  illegal  armed
groups and strengthen law enforcement throughout
the country. Colombia adopted in July 2005 a Justice
and Peace Law providing for alternative sanctions for
demobilised  members  of  illegal  armed  groups  that
have  committed  serious  crimes.  In  April  2006,  the
Colombian High Commissioner for Peace announced
the  completion  of  the  demobilisation  of  one  of  the
illegal armed groups, the AUC .

The EU Council said in October 2005 that if this law
were  transparently  and  effectively  implemented  it
would make a positive contribution to the search for
peace  in  Colombia.  The  Council  also  confirmed  its
readiness  to  assist  the  Colombian  Government  and
civil society.

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Following up on this commitment, the EU in December
2005 released € 1.5 million under its Rapid Reaction
Mechanism to help Colombia provide support for vul-
nerable groups and reconciliation activities. EU actions
will range from awareness raising and legal advice to
victims to support to the affected communities – part
of  a  robust,  longer-term  programme  for  Peace  and
Development in Colombia.

The EU runs a substantial aid programme – more than
€ 275 million since 2001. This is the largest sum for a
single  country  in  Latin  America.  With  EU  Member
States’ bilateral aid added, the total portfolio of ongoing
projects at the end of 2004 reached € 420 million. 

The focus of this aid effort is to strengthen institutions
– especially when it comes to justice – support for the
peace  process,  provide  humanitarian  assistance  for 
displaced populations and defend human rights.

The EU is Colombia’s second trading partner after the
US  and  the  biggest  investor  in  the  country.  It  offers
Colombia  a  favourable  trade  regime  –  most  of  its
goods are exempt from EU customs duties – and does
not  demand  reciprocity  for  its  exports  to  Colombia
through  its  General  System  of  Preferences  (GSP).
Eighty-four  per  cent  of  Colombian  exports  to  the  EU
market enter duty free.

Humanitarian aid part of EU package

The  EU  has  been  helping  victims  of  the  conflict  in
Colombia  since  1994  with  humanitarian  assistance
that has totalled over € 100 million since then. 

In  2006,  it  unveiled  a  Global  Plan  to  support  the 
displaced and those who have escaped to neighbour-
ing countries. 

The assistance released in 2006 will help 
a total of 169,000 people by meeting 
the essential needs of 63,700 newly displaced
people and providing assistance specifically
designed to protect 3,000 vulnerable children.
Thirty-five thousand affected people will also
see their living conditions improved (through, 
for example, adequate shelter and basic 
health care), and 68,000 refugees in Ecuador,
Venezuela and Panama will receive emergency
assistance and legal advice. 

In  addition,  it  offers  help  for  the  families  of  missing
persons and works to curb the number of child recruits
in armed groups – it is estimated that 14,000 children
under 18 are now involved.

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The peace laboratory – a marriage of rural
development and peace 

The  EU’s  biggest  projects  in  Colombia  are  the  Peace
Laboratories,  which  aim  to  attack  the  roots  of  violence
and poverty in conflict zones by promoting rural develop-
ment, local authorities and people-run projects to improve
infrastructure  and  social  services.  Local  people,  who  are
resisting the violence and want to create a life outside the
drug economy, design and manage the Laboratories.

The  first  peace  laboratory  was  launched  in  2002  in  the
Magdalena  Medio  region,  one  of  the  worst  hit  areas  of
the conflict, with a total budget of € 42.2 million – the
EU  contributing  € 34.8  million  and  the  Colombian 
Government the rest.

A  second  peace  laboratory  programme  was  launched  in
2003 with a similar budget, covering three other conflict-
ridden Colombian regions – Norte de Santander, Oriente
antiqueño  and  Macizo  colombiano  y  alto  Patia. A  third
programme  in  two  new  regions  –  Meta  and  Montes  de
Maria – has been launched in 2006. 

Father de Roux, coordinator of the first peace laboratory,
is convinced that civil society will transform the situation
in Colombia. ‘You do not have to wait for a peace process
to start reconstruction.’

State support is absent in the rural areas which are dom-
inated by the paramilitaries and the guerrillas. Father de
Roux  said  there  is  a  need  for  everything  –  education,
health and a livelihood. To decide where to start, Father
de Roux and his team organised meetings in each village
and asked two questions: How come in such a rich, fertile
area there are so many poor and how is it possible that
there are so many murders and violence in a population
that loves life so much?

This  started  a  dialogue  with  the  villagers.  Following  on
from these meetings, core groups were set up. They comprise
local officials such as the Mayor, activists and villagers in
the area who are interested in the project. Together they
explore  how  best  to  overcome  the  two  challenges  of
poverty  and  violence. ‘The  core  groups  give  birth  to  the
ideas  and  select  the  projects. The  job  of  the  laboratory 
is  to  accompany  them  and  provide  the  technical  and 
economic assistance.’

Working with the peace laboratory can be risky. But this
has  not  stopped  the  project.  Father  de  Roux  explained, 
‘I have the privilege of accompanying many extraordinary
and courageous people who have a long history of fighting
for democracy and independence.’ 

Since it started, the laboratory has seen many successes.
There  is  now  a  community  radio.  It  has  constructed 
150  schools  and  helped  hundreds  of  families  to  survive
through the farming of 5,000 hectares of palm oil (each
farmer has 10 hectares for palm oil and land for subsis-
tence farming), cacao production (helping 6,000 families)
and exporting baby bananas to Europe. In 2005, the project
bought  1,200  cows  to  support  small  ranches  in  the
region. And  it  has  set  up  many  local  networks  bringing
together,  for  example,  young  people,  women,  fishermen
and fisherwomen. 

Father de Roux said the project has won respect from the
authorities  but  also,  slowly,  from  the  different  parties.
‘People  can  see  the  Laboratory  is  making  a  difference.
They are proud of what they are achieving. This has given
them the confidence to start challenging the perpetrators
of the violence. They are talking with the guerrillas – many
of whom come from the slums of the big cities and have
little links with the area – to stop the spiral of violence.’

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The ongoing risk of devastating terrorist attacks,

the continuing crisis in Iraq, the elusiveness of a
lasting  settlement  between  Arabs  and  Israelis,
western Africa’s seemingly endless struggle to escape
from  chronic  turmoil,  and  the  challenges  of
Afghanistan,  amongst  others,  leave  unhappy  marks
on today’s world.

The  international  environment  after  the  end  of  the
Cold  War  offered  new  opportunities  to  promote
peaceful change. The combination of increasingly free
and open markets, private enterprise and technology
has  brought  wealth  and  new  opportunities  to  a
majority  of  countries  and  individuals.  It  has  helped
spread democratic government and put new pressure
on governments to treat their citizens fairly, to accept
public  scrutiny  and  to  engage  in  dialogue  and  co -
operation with their international partners.

But globalisation has its dark side too. International
trade  is  failing  to  bridge  the  divide  between  those
who benefit and the billions marooned in squalor and
misery.  Drug  trafficking  is  today  a  bigger  industry
than iron and steel or cars. The illicit diamond trade
not only finances conflict but actively fuels it.

The list of horrors is long: trafficking in people, and
especially  in  women;  environmental  degradation;
transnational  crime;  proliferation  of  arms,  big  and
small;  and  the  spread  of  AIDS  and  other  diseases.
These  problems  threaten  prosperity. They  also  lie  at
the root of much of the violent conflict that plagues
the world.

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Countries cannot deal with these problems on their
own or through bilateral diplomacy. Tackling the dark
side  of  globalisation  demands  international  cooper -
ation and multilateral action of a new kind.

Stopping abuse of natural resources 

Conflicts can be fuelled by scarcity or abuse of natural
resources. The EU helps to promote global security and
stability by working to prevent such abuse and to break
the link between illicit exploitation of natural resources
and armed conflict.

The  EU  plays  a  significant  role  in  the  international
Kimberley Process certification scheme that seeks to
stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds
used  by  rebel  movements,  to  finance  wars  against
legitimate  governments.  The  scheme  brings  together
producing and  trading  countries  to  ensure  trade  in
diamonds does not finance rebel movements as pre-
viously seen in the devastating conflicts in the 1990s
in  Angola,  the  Democratic  Republic  of  Congo  and
Sierra Leone. The EU will chair the Process in 2007.

The EU is now pursuing its Action Plan for Forest Law
Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) to clamp
down on illegal logging and illicit timber trade. These
cause vast environmental damage in developing coun-
tries, impoverishing rural communities that depend on
forest  products  for  a  living.  The  initiative  promotes
good  governance  in  partner  countries  and  licensing
schemes to ensure that only legal timber enters the EU.

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The  EU  is  particularly  well  placed  to  make  a  differ-
ence in such areas because of its prominent role in
world trade.

The list of horrors is long: trafficking in people, and
especially  in  women;  environmental  degradation;
transnational  crime;  proliferation  of  arms,  big  and
small;  and  the  spread  of  AIDS  and  other  diseases.
These problems threaten prosperity. They also lie at
the root of much of the violent conflict that plagues
the world.

Countries cannot deal with these problems on their
own or through bilateral diplomacy. Tackling the dark
side of globalisation demands international cooper -
ation and multilateral action of a new kind.

Conflict prevention tops EU security
agenda

Since  its  creation,  the  EU  has  engaged  in  conflict 
prevention. It is in itself a project designed to secure
peace and prosperity, and a very successful one.

The  EU’s  international  role,  its  interests  and  ambi-
tions  and  the  important  resources  it  has  committed
to aid and cooperation, make it a natural promoter of
stability beyond its own borders.

It  uses  all  aspects  of  its  external  policy  to  prevent
conflicts  in  the  world,  strongly  advocating  an  early
tackling of the potential structural causes of violent
conflict. It does this through its development cooper-
ation and external assistance; economic cooperation
and  trade  policy;  humanitarian  aid;  social  and  en -
vironmental  policies;  diplomacy,  such  as  political 
dialogue and mediation as well as economic or other
sanctions;  and  its  European  Security  and  Defence
Policy (ESDP).

The conflict cycle 

Conflict prevention lies at the heart of EU external action.
The EU combines long-term reconstruction and develop-
ment assistance with shorter-term civilian and military cri-
sis management tools for dealing with conflict and with
pre- and post-conflict situations. Often it is a question of
helping to prevent the re-emergence of a conflict.

For  each  stage  of  a  crisis,  the  EU  can  intervene  with  a
range of measures, always working in close collaboration
with the UN and relevant regional organisations.

In  situations  where  the  country  seems  stable
but there are sources of potential conflict and
in  tense  situations,  the  EU  offers  conflict 
prevention.
(cid:129) It charts potential conflict zones in the world.
(cid:129) It can deploy a team of experts with a mixture of back-
grounds – security, development, governance – to visit
a country, identify potential conflict issues and how EU
cooperation activities can improve the situation.

(cid:129) It  uses  its  development  aid  to  tackle  poverty  and
disease and provides support to diffuse tension points. 
(cid:129) It  incorporates  conflict  prevention  measures  in  its  aid
for areas such as governance, oversight of the security
system,  justice  system,  transport,  rural  development,
energy, environ ment, health and education.

(cid:129) It uses its trade agreements to offer better access to EU
markets to bolster failing economies and help developing
countries to find their place in the world economy.
(cid:129) It  works  with  other  international  organisations  to  tackle
issues such as trafficking in drugs, arms or human beings,
trading  of  illicit  goods,  environmental  degradation  and
managing scarce resources such as water.

(cid:129) It  is  active  in  preventive  diplomacy  and  mediation

between opposing factions.

In  open  conflict  situations  or  in  post-conflict 
situations,  the  EU  offers  civilian  and  military 
crisis  management  and  post-conflict  stabilisa-
tion,  as  well  as  long  term  reconstruction  and
development.
(cid:129) The EU uses its political clout to bring conflicts to an end

and offers mediation. 

(cid:129) It  uses  emergency  and  humanitarian  aid  to  help

refugees, disarm soldiers and clear mines.

(cid:129) It oversees elections, runs voter education projects and

trains electoral observers.

(cid:129) It enforces ceasefires and peace terms with military peace-
making and peace-keeping operations and re-establishes
safe environments.

(cid:129) It  co-finances  the  mediation  and  peace-keeping  activi-
ties of the UN, regional organisations such as the African
Union (AU) and non-state actors.

(cid:129) It also uses its emergency aid for the immediate and the

future reconstruction of the country.

(cid:129) It helps civilians and rehabilitates communities by funding
local-based projects and services such as water, education
and health.

(cid:129) It helps former soldiers to return to civilian life.
(cid:129) It strengthens the legal system to uphold the rule of law

and human rights.

(cid:129) It improves police services and trains the security sector

in human rights.

(cid:129) It fosters reconciliation between opposing groups.
(cid:129) It supports communities and administrations so that they

can run their own affairs.

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The  importance  of  preventing  conflict  and  fragile  or
failing states is explicitly recognised in the EU’s devel-
opment policy. Reducing poverty is seen as an object -
ive in its own right as well as an important factor in
ensuring long-term peace and security in poorer coun-
tries.  Moreover,  as  the  European  Security  Strategy
notes, security is the first condition for development.

EU foreign and security policy objectives are also sup-
ported by fast-growing military and civilian crisis man-
agement capabilities focusing on crisis response, peace
keeping  and  peace  making,  as  well  strengthening  or
substitution missions in fields like police, strengthening
the rule of law or civil administration. 

Security sector reform (SSR) can be both a conflict pre-
vention measure and a response to a situation of crisis.
The EU is taking a keen interest in this area, recognising
that weak security institutions and rule of law lead to
greater  risk  of  crime  and  violent  conflict. The  EU  has
taken  a  leading  role  in  promoting  supported  SSR  in
over  70  countries,  for  example  on  justice  and  police
reform  and  helping  to  disarm,  demobilise  and  reinte-
grate former combatants. This is a prime example of an
area  where  the  EU’s  development  policy  instruments
and  its  security  policy  instruments  can  complement
each other.

The  EU’s  financial  assistance  to  third  countries  is
planned  on  the  basis  of  strategy  papers  agreed  with
the  partner  country. These  increasingly  integrate  con-
flict prevention objectives, such as improving govern -
ance, fighting corruption, or reducing the prevalence of
small arms and light weapons.

On  the  international  stage,  the  EU  supports  and  will
actively take part in the United Nations Peacebuilding
Commission  established  at  the  end  of  2005.  The
Peacebuilding  Commission  aims  to  assist  countries
emerging from conflict to achieve sustainable peace.

Spotting conflict zones

The reasons for conflict vary, and predicting how it may
evolve  is  complex.  There  is  a  clear  need  for  better
analysis of the root causes of conflict and of the early
signs of an emerging conflict.

There are many factors that aggravate conflict: poverty,
economic stagnation, uneven distribution of resources,
weak  social  structures,  undemocratic  governance, 
systematic  discrimination,  oppression  of  the  rights  of
minorities, refugee flows, ethnic antagonisms, religious
and cultural intolerance, social injustice, and the prolif-
eration of weapons of mass destruction and small arms.

To  act  fast  and  effectively,  the  EU  has  developed  an
early  warning  and  rapid  reaction  system  to  spot
regions  in  the  world  where  tensions  are  rising  and
identify the root causes that are feeding them. By an
early identification of risk factors, the EU has a better
chance of taking timely and effective action to address
the underlying causes of conflict.

The  European  Commission’s  network  of  delegations
across  the  world,  and  a  number  of  EU  monitoring 
centres drawing on intelligence from military and non-
military sources from the Member States, feed into this
analysis.

Using this data, the EU and its member governments
closely monitor the most critical countries or regions in
the world and give them targeted support and aid in
an effort to tackle the root causes of the conflict.

Managing crisis

Even  with  the  best  will  in  the  world,  crisis  situations
cannot always be prevented.

EU Member States agreed in 1999 to contribute to a
military force for crisis management operations. This is
a voluntary scheme. Each government decides whether
it wants to contribute soldiers to this force and in what
numbers. The idea is to pool resources, giving the EU
the possibility to undertake humanitarian, peace-keep-
ing and peace-making operations.

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The  Stability  Instrument  differs  from  the  EU’s  humani -
tarian  aid,  which  is  politically  neutral  and  targets  the 
individual. It has a clear aim to rebuild or establish civic
structures. Without these, there can be no political, social
and economic stability. As such, its operations support the
EU’s political priorities and seek to defuse crises, opening
the way for the political process and longer-term support.

The Peacebuilding Partnership is aimed at building inter-
national capacity for crisis response, by developing a long-
term  relationship  between  the  Commission,  Member
States’  agencies  specialised  in  crisis  response,  non-state
actors  and  multilateral  organisations,  including  the  UN
and World Bank. It will focus on early warning, exchange
of  best  practices,  joint  needs  assessment,  training  and
rapid deployment of specialists in the areas covered by the
Stability Instrument.

Providing aid fast where its needed – 
the Stability Instrument and the
Peacebuilding Partnership

The Stability Instrument is a € 2 billion financing facil ity
dedicated  to  anticipating  and  responding  to  crises.  It  is
managed by a specialised team within the Commission,
and  will  strengthen  and  streamline  its  work  on  conflict
prevention, peace building, and post-conflict reconstruc-
tion. It will also ensure that aid is delivered more quickly
and  effectively  to  help  rebuild  communities  affected  by 
a natural disaster.

How  would  this  work  in  practice?  We  see  four  main 
scenarios under which the instrument would be triggered:
(cid:129) reconstruction  and  stabilisation  after  a  major  new
political crisis or natural disaster (an event on the
scale of Iraq or the tsunami);

(cid:129) seizing  a  window  of  opportunity  to  prevent 
conflict  or  resolve  a  long-standing  conflict  through
mediation  efforts  and  building  confidence  in  a  peace
process;

(cid:129) prompt  action to  ensure  that  our  mainstream
development  programmes  can  continue  to  work  in
fragile  states  (e.g.  through  urgent  action  to  strengthen
the rule of law, or to prevent tensions from flaring up);
(cid:129) joint  crisis  management  or  stabilisation initia -
tives building on the complementary roles of the EU’s
Development  policy  instruments  and  the  EU’s  civilian
and military assets.

EU  governments  set  as  their  objective  to  be  able  to
deploy joint forces of up to 60,000 soldiers, supported
by appropriate air and naval capacity, in less than two
months, and sustain them for at least a year.

ongoing  in  2006  –  in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  and,
again,  in  the  DRC,  in  addition  to  an  EU  package  of 
support  (civilian  and  military)  for  the African  Union's
mission in Sudan/Darfur, AMIS.

In November 2004, they also agreed to set up 13 rapid
reaction force packages, known as battle groups, with
around  1,500  soldiers  drawn  from  one  or  more
Member  States  for  deployment  in  international  crisis
regions. These battle groups became fully operational
on  1  January  2007.  This  allows  EU  governments  to
react  quickly,  for  example,  after  receiving  an  urgent
request by the UN. The EU aims to be able to decide to
launch an operation within five days of the approval of
a crisis management action and to have forces ready to
implement their mission on the ground within 10 days
of a decision.

The EU has already launched four military operations
under  the  ESDP. Two  were  conducted  in  2003  (in  the
former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia  and  in  the
Democratic Republic of Congo), and another two were

A key priority for the EU is to bring all necessary civil-
ian resources to bear in crisis and post-crisis situations.
This is because of a growing understanding that in the
case of failing states, or states emerging from violent
conflict, military intervention on its own is unlikely to
succeed. To  prevent  such  countries  from  falling  back
into conflict, a quick return to civilian life is necessary.
This  means  a 
restoration  of  economic 
activity  and  the  build-up  of  civil  administration, 
the police and judiciary.

rapid 

Since  January  2003,  the  EU  has  launched  civilian 
missions  under  the  ESDP  in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina, 
in  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia, 
in  Georgia,  in  the  DRC,  in  the  Palestinian Territories, 
in Aceh, Indonesia, as well as in support for Iraq. It is
preparing further missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

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EU Civilian 
capabilities

Police

Rule of law

The main aim

The numbers

The EU is capable of carrying out any police
operation, from advisory, assistance and
training to substituting local police forces.

The EU can contribute to a properly func-
tioning judicial and penitentiary system to
back up the police. It has set up a network
of training institutes in the Member States
to train personnel for international peace
missions. In 2003, they trained 264 people
in 14 courses across the EU.

EU member governments undertook to
provide some 5,760 police officers of
whom 1,400 can be deployed in less than
30 days

EU member governments undertook to
provide 631 public prosecutors, judges and
prison service officers with crisis manage-
ment experience.

Civil administration

The EU can bolster civil administration. 

Civil protection

The EU can reinforce civil protection by
quickly dispatching specialist teams trained
in civil protection, and setting up early
warning and information exchanges.

Monitoring

Support for EU
Special
Representatives
(EUSR)

The EU can provide monitoring teams
before a conflict happens, and in conflict
and post-conflict situations.

The EU can provide extra support to EU
Special Representatives to back up their
work. 

EU member governments undertook to
provide a pool of 565 experts with civil
administration experience to be deployed
at short notice if necessary.  

EU member governments will create civil
protection assessment teams that can be
dispatched within three to seven hours.
Intervention teams which can be deployed
at short notice will back them up. They
undertook to provide some 5,000 people
for these civil protection tasks.

EU member governments undertook to
provide some 500 staff for such missions. 

EU member governments will provide over
360 support staff to work with EU Special
Representatives with expertise on human
rights, political and legal affairs, gender
issues, media policy and administration.

The EU is constantly developing its capacity to conduct
such operations. In June 2000, EU governments set as
a target to develop civilian capabilities in four priority
areas of police, rule of law, civilian administration and
civil protection. In June 2004, they extended these to
monitoring  operations  and  extra  support  for  the
Offices of EU Special Representatives. EU Civilian cap -
abilities should be fully operational by 2008.

The Stability Instrument (see box above) will contribute
in an important way to the strengthening of the EU’s
crisis  management  capacity.  It  can  be  used  to  antici-
pate  or  respond  to  political  crisis,  violent  conflict  or
natural  disasters,  and  will  work  closely  with  the  EU’s
civilian and military operations.

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Georgia was one of the first republics of the for-

mer Soviet Union to declare independence in
1991. Armed internal conflicts broke out after
independence  with  secessionist  movements  in  the
South  Ossetia  and  Abkhazia  provinces.  Hostilities
ended when a cease fire was declared in 1993, but
relations  between  Tbilisi  and  the  two  breakaway
regions remain tense. The loss of trade with the for-
mer  Soviet  Union  and  the  internal  conflicts  led  to 
a collapse of the Georgian economy.

Widespread  popular  protest,  the  bloodless  ‘Rose 
Revolution’,  broke  up  in  November  2003  following
flawed  presidential  elections  that  had  reconfirmed
former  President  Eduard  Shevardnadze.  In  January
2004 a new round of presidential elections brought
Pres.  Mikheil  Saakashvili  to  power.  New  legislative
elections were held in March 2004, supported by the
EU with a € 2 million aid package.

Swept  to  power  with  over  90%  of  the  votes,
President  Saakashvili  started  an  ambitious  pro-
gramme  of  democratic  and  economic  reforms.  The
new government was faced with the daunting task of
tackling  endemic  corruption,  fighting  against  high
levels of organised crime, rebuilding non-functioning
state institutions, reducing the high level of poverty
and restoring territorial integrity through the reinte-
gration of the separatist regions. 

EU steps up its support to Georgia under
the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) 

In  June  2004,  the  EU  pledged  € 125  million  to
Georgia for the period 2004-2006 at an international
donors conference that it co-chaired with the World
Bank, with a resulting gradual doubling of EC financial
assistance  compared  with  the  pre-Rose  Revolution
period. 

In  the  same  month,  Georgia  (and  the  other  two
Southern Caucasus countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan)
were  included  in  the  in  the  ENP,  opening  up  the 
possibility  for  closer  economic  integration  with  the
EU and for enhanced EU support for Georgia's reform
programme.

An ENP Action Plan was adopted by the EU-Georgia
Cooperation Council of 14 November 2006 with the
aim  of  further  strengthening  EU-Georgia  bilateral
relations,  building  on  the  existing  1999  Partnership
and  Cooperation  agreement.  The  Action  Plan  is  a
detailed  blueprint  entailing  specific  objectives  and
timelines for bringing Georgia closer to the EU legis-
lation and regulatory system. Several of these object -
ives  are  related  to  the  consolidation  of  Georgia's
democratic  institutions,  full  enforcement  of  the  rule
of law, the fight against organised crime and terrorism,
improved border management and conflicts resolution,
thus contributing to Georgia's stability and security. 

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An  EU  Rule  of  Law  mission  supports  crucial
reform of the judiciary in Georgia

EU  support  for  the  peaceful  resolution 
of Georgia's internal conflicts 

Full respect for the Rule of Law is the cornerstone of
any  functioning  democracy.  One  of  the  most  urgent 
priorities  for  post-revolutionary  Georgia  is  in-depth
reform of its judicial system. At the request of President
Saakashvili, the EU launched in 2004, under the ESDP,
a € 2 million pioneering EUJUST THEMIS Rule of Law
mission to Georgia, with a core team of 10 international
experts seconded by EU Member States as well as local
staff.  This  mission  was  concluded  in  July  2005.  It 
allowed establishing a comprehensive strategy for the
reform of the criminal justice code, covering the whole
criminal  justice  system  (courts,  prosecution  office  and
the  penitentiary).  The  strategy  has  been  formally 
endorsed  by  the  Georgian  President.  The  EU  is 
continuing  its  assistance  in  this  crucial  domain  with 
a € 7,9 million follow-up Tacis programme launched in
2006 for the implementation of certain elements of the
reform  the  strategy,  namely  the  reforms  of  the
Penitentiary  and  Probation  system,  strengthening  the
capacity  of  the  Ministry  of  Justice,  establishment  of 
a  legal  aid  system,  setting  up  a  Civil  registry  and  the
third phase of reform of Prosecutor General Office.

Another 
important  step  underpinning  the  EU's
renewed  interest  for  Georgia  and  the  Southern
Caucasus countries was the appointment in July 2003
of  an  EU  Special  Representative  for  the  Southern
Caucasus. The  new  EUSR,  Swedish Ambassador  Peter
Semneby,  was  appointed  in  February  2006,  with  a
mandate  calling  for  a  more  pro-active  EU  role  in  the
peaceful  resolution  of  the  regional  conflicts  in  the  S.
Caucasus. He heads a Border Support Team in Georgia
providing support and advice to the Georgian authori-
ties on border issues.

The EU is the largest donor in Georgia's zones of con-
flict. The  EU  actively  supports  various  economic  reha-
bilitation  and  confidence  –  building  activities  in
Abkhazia and South Ossetia as an important measure
to  build  greater  trust  between  the  conflict-affected
populations. These projects aim at improving living con-
ditions and creating conditions for the return of inter-
nally displaced persons, as well as facilitating progress
in a constructive dialogue between the two sides.

Ongoing and planned programmes in Abkhazia that are
financed  by  the  EC  include  humanitarian  assistance,
economic  rehabilitation,  confidence  building  projects
with local and international NGOs, and democracy and
human  rights  projects  with  local  NGOs.  Within  this 
framework,  the  EC  is  financing  a  € 3.6  Mio  compre-
hensive rehabilitation programme in Abkhazia in order
to improve public health services, electricity, local rural
development  of  both  ethnic  Georgian  and Abkhazian
communities.  UNOMIG  and  UNDP  will  be  major 
partners  in  the  programme  implementation.  In  South
Ossetia,  EU  assistance  has  financed  since  1998  a 
€ 7.5  Mio  programme  for  the  rehabilitation  of  civil
infrastructure  (gas,  waste  management  facilities,
schools,  water  supply)  damaged  during  the  armed 
hostilities. The third phase of this programme will end
in  2006.  Three  'Joint  Actions'  under  the  Common
Foreign and Security Policy  have provided EU support
(through grants to the OSCE) for the functioning of the
Joint  Control  Commission,  a  quadripartite  body  for
monitoring the implementation of the cease fire which
includes  Georgia,  Russia  as  well  as  the  South  and
North Ossetian sides.  

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The EU is an active player in efforts to bring an

end to conflict in the Middle East. It is the major
donor and trading partner, it plays a key role in
the Quartet along with the US, Russia and the UN, and
it is closely involved  on  the  ground  via  its  teams  of
specialised personnel.

Meeting  in  September  2006,  EU  Foreign  Ministers
underlined that lasting peace and security in the region
could only be ensured by a comprehensive settlement
with  a  negotiated  two-state  solution  to  the  Israeli-
Palestinian  conflict  at  its  core.  They  underlined  the
importance of reinvigorating the peace process.

Israel and the Palestinian Territories of the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip have paid a high price for political
turmoil and violence over the years, which have left
many  thousands  killed  and  yet  greater  numbers
injured,  while  severely  curtailing  economic  oppor -
tunities. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in
a  weak  Palestinian  economy  with  more  than  40%
unemployment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. By
the end of 2006, 67% of the Palestinian population
were thought to be living below the poverty line, with
peaks of 80% in the Gaza Strip.

Lebanon also paid a high price for violence in sum-
mer  2006  as  fighting  between  Israeli  forces  and
Hezbollah led to a humanitarian crisis and damaged
much  of  the  country's  economy  and  environment.
Again, the EU played a prominent part in international
efforts  to  restore  calm  and  begin  the  painstaking
process  of  reconstruction,  deploying  political,  diplo-
matic, security and humanitarian resources.

They also called for full and speedy implementation
of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 regarding the
Lebanon  crisis,  including  the  withdrawal  of  Israeli
troops in parallel with the deployment of a reinforced
UN contingent and the Lebanese Armed Forces.

EU promotes a two-state solution for
Israel and the Palestinian Territories 

Since as far back as 1980, the EU has recognised that
all states in the region, including Israel, have the right
to exist in security and that there has to be justice for
all people implying the recognition of the legitimate
rights of the Palestinians. In this respect, the EU has
referred to relevant UN Security Council Resolutions,
in particular number 242, which calls for a just set-
tlement of the refugee problem.

The EU supports a two-state solution as the only hope
for an end to the Middle East conflict, with a demo-
cratic, viable, peaceful and sovereign Palestinian State
as the best guarantee for Israel’s security and for its
acceptance as a partner in the region. 

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EU  leaders  have  repeatedly  called  for  a  negotiated
solution, urging an end to the occupation and the cre-
ation  of  a  Palestinian  state  on  the  basis  of  the  1967
borders (if necessary with adjustments agreed by both
parties), with a fair solution for the status of Jerusalem,
and a just, viable, realistic and agreed solution to the
problem of the Palestinian refugees.

The ideas promoted in EU declarations were incorporated
in  the  2002  Quartet ‘Road  Map’  for  peace.  Its  stated
objective is the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by
the  creation  of  two  states  living  side-by-side  within
secure  and  recognised  borders  enjoying  normal  rela-
tions with their neighbours.

The  road  map  provides  for  a  comprehensive  Middle
East  agreement  that  should  also  include  settlements 
between Israel and Lebanon, and Israel and Syria.

The  EU  continues  to  provide  political  and  economic
support for the peace process. It meets regularly with
its  Quartet  partners  to  evaluate  progress  and,  on  a 
day-to-day  basis 
its  Special
Representative  for  the  Middle  East  Peace  Process  as
well  as  its  Delegation  to  the  State  of  Israel  and  the
European  Commission’s  Technical  Assistance  Office,
which works with the Palestinian side.

it  works  through 

Throughout, the EU has worked closely with the United
Nations  and  other  international  donors,  since  it  is  a
firm  supporter  of  multilateral  solutions  to  conflicts
around the world. 

The international community's strategy

The EU believes peace will only be achieved via a nego-
tiation between the Israelis and the Palestinians which
results  in  an  independent,  democratic,  and  viable
Palestinian  state  living  alongside  Israel  and  its  other
neighbours in peace and security.

In order to achieve this, the road map foresees that the
Palestinian leadership would have to recognise Israel’s
right to exist in peace and security; declare an unequiv-
ocal  end  to  violence  and  terrorism;  undertake  visible
efforts  to  arrest,  disrupt  and  restrain  individuals  and
groups  behind  terrorist  attacks;  dismantle  terrorist
capabilities  and  infrastructures  including  confiscating
illegal weapons; and strengthen its ability to maintain
law and order in the Territories. 

The road map foresees that Israel would have to affirm
its  commitment  to  the  two  state  vision  of  an  inde-
pendent,  viable,  sovereign  Palestinian  state  living  in
peace and security alongside it; call for an end to vio-
lence against Palestinians; refrain from actions under-
mining  trust  including  attacks  on  civilians;  stop  all
punitive measures such as confiscating and/or demol-
ishing Palestinian homes and property, and destroying
Palestinian  institutions  and  infrastructure;  and  nor-
malise  Palestinian  life,  including  via  withdrawal  from
occupied  Palestinian  areas.  In  addition,  Israel  would
have  to  dismantle  settlement  outposts  erected  since
March 2001 and freeze all settlement activity.

The  EU  opposes  measures  which  would  prejudge  the
outcome  of  permanent  status  negotiations.  In  the 
context of the ongoing construction of the separation
barrier,  while  recognising  Israel's  right  to  protect  its 
citizens from terrorist attacks, the EU has asked Israel
to  stop  building  this  series  of  walls,  trenches,  and
fences  –  inside  the  occupied  Palestinian  Territories. 
It  has  endorsed  the  advisory  opinion  of  the
International  Court  of  Justice  according  to  which  the
construction of a wall inside occupied Palestinian terri-
tory is contrary to international law.

Israel  states  that  the  construction  of  the  separation
barrier is a temporary measure, but its extent, nature,
cost  and  location  suggest  to  Palestinians  that  the 
project has more permanent implications, which could
prejudge future negotiations and make the two-state
solution physically impossible to implement.

In  some  places,  the  barrier  is  located  as  much  as  six
kilometres  inside  the  West  Bank.  When  completed, 
it could cut off thousands of Palestinians on the western,
side  from  their  land,  workplaces  and  essential  social
services. Palestinians east of the barrier will lose access
to land and water resources.

In the context of efforts to find a fair solution to the
complex  issue  of  Jerusalem,  taking  into  account  the
political  and  religious  concerns  of  all  parties,  the  EU
has  expressed  concern  at  the  near-completion  of  the
separation barrier around East Jerusalem, far from the
Green Line. This will cut off the city from its Palestinian
satellite cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah, and the rest
of the West Bank beyond, and have serious economic,
social  and  humanitarian  consequences  for  the
Palestinians.

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Supporting elections

The EU deployed the largest Election Observation Mission
for  both  the  January  2005  presidential  election  and  the
January  2006  Legislative  Council  election  in  the  West
Bank  and  Gaza.  More  than  200  observers  took  part  on
each occasion. 

Since  2003,  the  EU  has  led  the  support  effort  for
Palestinian  elections  injecting  some  € 18.5  million. The
bulk has gone to the Palestinian Commission responsible
for  organising  the  elections  including  voter  registration,
polling, counting the votes and voter information.

The EU election mission concluded that the January 2006
electoral process was open, fairly contested and efficiently
administered.

The Mission stated the elections were ‘notable for the par-
ticipation of candidates linked to extremist or radical groups
that  have  advocated  violence  as  a  means  to  solving  the
problems in the Middle East’ and hoped that ‘this participa-
tion  is  an  indication  of  the  movement  of  such  groups
towards  engaging  in  a  truly  demo cratic  process,  which
would be in fundamental contradiction with violent activity.’

EU biggest donor to peace process 

Since 2000, the EC has provided over € 1.83 billion in
grants to Palestinians to improve living conditions and
promote reforms. This makes it the biggest donor to the
peace  process  and  Palestinian  preparations  for  state-
hood.  EU  Member  States  have  provided  additional
funds through their national programmes. 

Part of this money is for humanitarian support to help
almost  four  million  Palestinian  refugees  living  in  the
region, as well as the poorest Palestinians living in the
West Bank and Gaza.

The  United  Nations  Relief  and  Works  Agency  for
Palestine  Refugees  in  the  Near  East  (UNRWA)  is  the
main provider of basic services such as education and
health to Palestinian refugees in the region. EU assist -
ance to UNRWA in 2005-6 totalled over € 160 million.

Conditional aid drives reform 

In  the  period  1994-2006,  the  EU  was  the  major  sup-
porter of the Palestinian Authority, set up after the Oslo
accords.  The  aim  of  this  assistance  was  to  build  an
Authority  which  is  able  to  govern  a  future  sovereign
Palestinian  state  and  to  negotiate  a  settlement  with
Israel. 

During this period, the EU worked with the Palestinian
Authority  to  achieve  financial  and  judicial  reform  as
part of its long-term objective to create an independent,
democratic Palestinian State.

The  European  Union  has  been  the  leading  donor 
in  strengthening  financial  control  and  transparency. 
It  achieved  progress  in  reforming  Palestinian  public
finances through conditions attached to the + € 500
million  provided  in  budgetary  support  (2000  –  2006)
and 
assistance 
programmes worth over € 5 million.

specialist 

technical 

through 

From  the  outset,  the  EU  set  conditions  for  direct  aid.
It  asked  the  Palestinian  Authority  to  set  up  a  single
treasury account to receive all donor payments, making
it  easy  to  trace  financial  transfers.  The  Ministry  of
Finance  agreed  to  take  sole  responsibility  for  the
Palestinian Authority’s payroll. Salaries could no longer
be  paid  in  cash;  a  centralised  payment  system  was
established  and  audits,  both  external  and  internal,
were  strengthened. The  International  Monetary  Fund
monitored the accounts and subsequently praised the
system  of  checks  and  controls  which  the  Palestinian
Authority  had  introduced,  commenting  that  it  had
achieved  ‘a  level  of  fiscal  responsibility,  control,  and
transparency  which  rivals  the  most  fiscally  advanced
countries in the region.’ 

The EU also pushed for judicial reforms to ensure that
courts  were  independent  from  politicians,  offering 
support for training judges and prosecutors as well as
resources to refurbish certain courts. This was necessary
for security but also to lay the foundations for economic
growth. Businesses need to know that if there is a prob-
lem they can turn to the courts for an effective remedy. 

The EU’s financial package for 2005 totalled more than
€ 500 million. The main focus was on reforming and
including 
strengthening  Palestinian 

institutions 

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Strengthening law and order

In addition to its economic support, humanitarian aid and
political involvement, the EU is present in the Palestinian
Territories  through  two  missions  under  the  European
Security and Defence Policy.

As part of the EU's efforts to strengthen the rule of law and
improve  customs  operations  in  the  Palestinian  territories,
the  EU  responded  rapidly  to  the  Israeli  and  Palestinian
request that it launch a border assist ance mission at
the Rafah crossing point on the border between Gaza
and Egypt (EUBAM Rafah). This mission was established on
the  basis  of  the  ‘Agreement  on  Movement  and  Access’
reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA)
on  15  November  2005.  It  aims  to  provide  a  third-party
presence at the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) in order to con-
tribute  to  the  regular  opening  of  the  RCP.  To  this  end,
EUBAM  Rafah  monitors,  verifies  and  evaluates  the  per-
formance of the Palestinian Authority’s border control, secu-
rity and customs officials working at the Terminal and acts
to ensure that the PA complies with all applicable rules and
regulations. 

Via  European  Community  institution-building  efforts,
it contributes to Palestinian capacity building in all aspects
of border control and customs operation.

EUBAM Rafah also contributes to the liaison between the
Palestinian, Israeli and Egyptian authorities. Some 70 per-
sonnel, largely seconded from EU Member States, monitor
activities and provide on-the-job training, complemented by
Community assistance.

In  January  2006,  the  EU  also  launched  an  EU  Police
Mission  for  the  Palestinian  Territories (EUPOL
COPPS) to help the PA establish sustainable and effective
civil  policing  arrangements  by  assisting  with  the  imple-
mentation  of  the  Palestinian  Civil  Police  Development
Plan. The mission was set up to advise and mentor senior
members of the Palestinian Civil Police and criminal jus-
tice system and to co-ordinate EU/international assistance
to the Palestinian Civil Police. The mission was set up to
run for at least three years but since its operations have
been  restricted  by  the  political  situation,  EUPOL  COPPS
has been monitoring security sector reform issues, main-
taining working level contacts with security agencies and
preparing for active engagement when the situation will
allow.  The  mission  acts  in  close  co-operation  with  the
European  Community's  institution  building  programmes
as well as other international efforts in the security sector
and judicial reform. 

Funding projects on the ground 

The political conflict, the separation barrier and Israel’s
closure policy have all deepened the isolation and lack
of interaction between Israelis and Palestinians. 

Since  1995,  the  EU  has  promoted  dialogue  between
Israeli and Palestinian civil society, and cooperation on
key issues such as the environment, health, education
and the media.

the judiciary, fighting corruption, supporting the demo-
cratic process via elections, and addressing the emer-
gency  and  humanitarian  needs  of  the  Palestinian 
population.  The  EU  carefully  monitored  the  aid  to
ensure there were no abuses.

European Commission develops temporary
aid mechanism 

The  swearing-in  of  a  Hamas-led  Government  in
March 2006 placed the peace process in an entirely new
context. The election victory of Hamas – an organisation
listed by the EU as a terrorist organisation – led interna-
tional donors, including the EU, to temporarily suspend
direct assistance to the Palestinian Government pending
a  review  of  assistance  against  the  new  Government’s
commitment  to  the  three  principles  of  non-violence,
recognition  of  Israel’s  right  to  exist  and  acceptance  of
existing  agreements.  Israel  also  suspended  transfers  of
the customs and tax revenues which it collects on behalf
of  the  Palestinian  Authority  and  which  represents  the
bulk of its fiscal income.

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The Lebanon crisis – EU at the forefront of
international efforts

The EU was actively engaged in efforts to respond to
the  conflict  in  Lebanon,  and  its  repercussions,  in  the
summer of 2006.

It  acted  quickly  to  address  evacuation  needs  and  the
worsening  humanitarian  crisis  as  hundreds  of  thou-
sands of people were displaced, deploying a range of
EU  and  national  resources.  The  EU  made  high-level
démarches  to  obtain  the  opening  of  humanitarian 
corridors for the delivery of aid to victims. There was a
coordinated  effort  in  Beirut,  Cyprus,  national  capitals
and Brussels from the outset of the crisis.

In  order  to  continue  its  support  for  the  Palestinians,
while  adapting  to  the  new  political  reality,  the
European  Commission,  at  the  request  of  EU  leaders
and  the  Middle  East  Quartet,  developed  a  special
Temporary  International  Mechanism (TIM)  to
channel  aid  to  the  Palestinians.  In  July  2006, 
the  Commission  started  to  pay  social  allowances  to
those most in need. 

The allowances were made to those who had suffered a
significant loss of income due to the Palestinian finan-
cial crisis, to pensioners and other social hardship cases.
Other actions included delivery of fuel to hospitals and
water  pumps  to  protect  public  health,  plus  social
allowance payments to Palestinian doctors and nurses,
to enable them to continue to work. Allowances have
now  been  paid  to  approximately  150,000  recipients.
Taking into account a typical dependency ratio of 1:6,
this  means  that  the  EU  has  provided  direct  relief  to
nearly 1 million vulnerable Palestinians. 

By September 1st, 2006, the Commission had allocated
€ 105 million to the TIM, bringing the total made avail-
able  from  the  Community  Budget  to  the  Palestinian
people  in  2006  to  € 330  million.  EU  Member  States
contributed around € 80 million to the TIM.

EU Foreign Ministers meeting in September 2006 wel-
comed the TIM's achievements and agreed it should be
extended  for  a  further  three  months.  In  view  of  the 
protracted  political  crisis,  the  Commission  decided  to
extend  the TIM  by  a  further  three  months  into  2007.
This  was  endorsed  by  the  European  Council  in
December 2006.

After an international donor conference in Stockholm –
convened by the Swedish Government in response to
the  call  in  UN  Security  Council  Resolution  1701  for
immediate steps to extend financial and humanitarian
assistance to the Lebanese people – EU humanitarian
aid (pledged or effectively granted by Member States
and  the  European  Community)  was  approximately 
€ 330 million, of which € 107 million was provided by
the European Community.

The  EU  also  stood  ready  to  help  prepare  the  ‘needs
assessment’ for reconstruction under the leadership of
the Government of Lebanon and in close cooperation
with  other  international  partners,  such  as  the  World
Bank, by providing expertise and technical support.

On  the  diplomatic  front,  the  EU  High  Representative
for  the  Common  Foreign  and  Security  Policy,  Javier
Solana, has been actively engaged in efforts to address
the crisis, as he and other EU officials made a number
of  visits  to  the  region.  In  July,  EU  Foreign  Ministers
called  for  an  immediate  cessation  of  hostilities  and
held  two  extraordinary  sessions  in August  to  discuss
the crisis, while the Finnish EU Presidency maintained
close contact with the different parties involved.

The Presidency actively coordinated the consular situ -
ation so that cooperation between EU Member States’
capitals and on the ground was optimal from the very
outset.

The  EU  triggered  the  ‘Community  Civil  Protection
Mechanism’  to  help  Cyprus  to  address  the  difficult
logistical  situation  resulting  from  the  large  influx  of
evacuees. EU action also addressed the evacuation of
EU citizens from Lebanon and their subsequent repat -
riation (mainly from Cyprus) as well as the evacuation
of third country nationals.

EU  Member  States  and  institutions  also  set  out  their
stall  to  improve  the  security  situation  in  southern
Lebanon.  EU  Member  States  were  at  the  forefront
when countries announced commitments to boost the
number of troops involved in a reinforced UN presence
under  the  UNIFIL  operation  (United  Nations  Interim
Force in Lebanon). By the end of 2006, approximately
75%  of  the  current  UNIFIL  peacekeepers  were
European. 

Ministers  agreed  to  impose  an  arms  embargo  in
Lebanon  in  accordance  with  Resolution  1701  which
foresaw a ban on the supply of arms to entities or indi-
in  Lebanon,  unless  authorised  by  the
viduals 
Government of Lebanon or by UNIFIL.

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Building Business Bridges

‘All for Peace FM’

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This successful business management programme prepares
Israeli and Palestinian students to work in partner-ship. The
Center  for  Jewish-Arab  Economic  Develop-ment  (CJAED)
and  the  Palestinian  Media  and  Development  Institute
(PMDI)  designed  it,  and  the  EU  co-financed  it.  By  2005,
over 150 students had graduated.

The  MBA  accredited  degree  is  taught  at  the  Haifa
University,  Graduate  School  of  Business.  The  curriculum
includes a strong Middle East component. Through guest
lectures,  panel  discussions  and  cross-cultural  manage-
ment  training,  the  students  explore  key  business  but  also
political, social and cultural issues important for the region. 

There are study visits to local companies but also to compa-
nies in Europe and the United States. In their final project,
Palestinian and Israeli students work in mixed teams with
local and international companies assessing the feasibility of
new businesses in the region.

Gil  Nezer  from  Gedera  and  Fadi  Abdellatif  from  East
Jerusalem, both former students, said for most of the stu-
dents  the  programme  provided  a  first  opportunity  for
establishing a long-term relationship with ‘people from the
other  side’.  But  with  opportunity  ‘comes  responsibility. 
We  are  from  different  backgrounds.  We  belong  to  rival
nations’. 

The  fundamental  question  is ‘how  do  we  create  a  com-
mon goal? How do we construct a group? Each and every
one  of  us  is  part  of  a  nation,  and  most  identify  with  it. 
The conflicts exist, and we are confronted with them con-
tinually. How do we deal with our feelings when a suicide
bomber explodes in a restaurant in Haifa? How do we deal
with the fact that some of us are under curfew and cannot
join our meetings, including this one? But most of all, how
do we deal with the everyday reality of belonging to rival
societies? Only if we learn to understand and accept each
other as nationals, can we perform as a group. Only then
can we create a bridge to be followed by others.’

Thanks  to  EU  funds,  Israelis  and  Palestinians  started  a
joint  radio  station,  ‘All  for  Peace  FM’  which  promotes
peace,  tolerance  and  understanding. The  station  broad-
casts in Hebrew, Arabic and English on 107.2 FM, mixing
news, music and opinion.

The  programmes  try  to  break  down  stereotypes  held  by
both sides and to discuss issues of common interest such as
health, environment, culture, transport and the economy.

The promoters maintain that a central aspect of the con-
flict  is  the  distance  between  the  two  people.  ‘Common
sense dictates that the more we know each other the less
we will hate, be angry at and fear each other.’

Hope is in short supply in the Middle East. ‘The loss of hope
is also the greatest threat to both peoples. Both popula-
tions have undergone periods almost impossible to bear in
recent years, and many people have ceased believing that
the situation can change.’ 

‘All  for  Peace  FM’  invites  listeners  to  become  part  of  the
group that can believe in change. ‘We try to give alternative
ideas for ending the conflict, provide hope to our listeners
and prepare them for the morning after the conflict.’

‘After all, genuine peace will be achieved and based on a
strong bond between both peoples and not their leaders
–  and  this  bond  must  be  established  and  strengthened
already today.’

The  ‘All  for  Peace’  radio  station  reaches  approximately
15,000 Israelis and Palestinians on a daily basis. They spe-
cially try to reach Israelis and Palestinians youth to young
adults, and pro-peace initiatives and organisations, as well
as civil society groups. In addition they also try to provide
non-threatening programme that encourage namely non-
traditional  listeners  to  participate  and  to  expose  them-
selves to different views and perspectives of the conflict.
The radio increases its impact by means of their website
available in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew and English. 

www.allforpeace.org

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Promoting peace through regional 
cooperation

European Neighbourhood Policy 
works for peace

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The  EU  has  developed  a  ‘Neighbourhood  Policy’  for
countries which lie immediately beyond its borders.

The  policy  targets  more  intensive  political  dialogue,
greater access to EU programmes and policies (includ-
ing  the  EU’s  internal  market)  and  reinforced  cooper -
ation on justice, freedom and security issues. The aim is
to deepen cooperation with these countries based on
shared values including the rule of law, good govern -
ance,  respect  for  human  rights  and  the  promotion  of
good neighbourly relations.

Israel  and  the  Palestinian  Authority  were  among  the
first to agree Action Plans under this policy. In addition
to  trade,  the  plans  raise  various  issues,  including  the
peace  process  but  also  non-proliferation;  the  fight
against terrorism; promoting good governance; respect
for  human  rights  and  international  humanitarian  law;
combating  incitement;  and  encouraging  regional
cooper ation  on  the  environment,  water,  energy  and
transport. 

The  European  Commission  has  sponsored  specific
Israeli – Palestinian cooperation on trade issues, transport
and energy.

The  EU  also  has  a  Neighbourhood  Policy Action  Plan
with Lebanon through which it can help the country to
pursue its reforms.

The way ahead

The EU is determined to do its utmost to foster peace
in the Middle East and will continue to provide necessary
assistance to meet the basic needs of the Palestinian
population.  Through  dialogue  and  co-operation,  as
well as its participation in the Quartet, the EU is con-
tributing to the broader goal of a peaceful, developing
region, increasingly integrated with the EU.

Closely involved in the search for a lasting solution, the
EU is the biggest donor to the Palestinians, providing
around € 500 million in 2005, and over € 650 million
in 2006. It is the biggest trading partner and a major
economic, scientific and research partner of Israel – the
EU  accounts  for  one  third  of  Israeli  exports  and  over
40% of Israeli imports. It is also a major political and
economic partner of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

The EU is making use of trade, political dialogue and
cooperation on issues such as justice, liberty and secu-
rity to stabilise the region and to promote understand-
ing  between  the  different  countries.  In  1995,  in
Barcelona,  it  launched  a  special  partnership  with
Mediterranean  countries.  Often  referred  to  as  ‘The
Barcelona  Process’, this has three aims: to create a
common area of peace and stability through political
dialogue;  to  forge  closer  economic  and  financial  ties
(eventually  a  free-trade  zone);  and  to  improve  social
and cultural links. 

A series of bilateral Association Agreements set out
how  the  EU  and  its  Mediterranean  partners,  working
together, plan to achieve these aims. The agreements,
shaped by the needs of each country, cover trade, polit-
ical dialogue, respect for human rights and democracy
as  well  as  economic,  cultural  and  social  cooperation,
including the thorny issue of migration. Once agreed,
they have to be ratified by EU Member States’ national
parliaments in order to come into force.

The Association Agreements often require reforms: the
EU  offers  technical  and  financial  support  to  help  its
partner countries to implement the necessary changes
and deal with the social and economic consequences.

Israel was one of first countries to sign such an agree-
ment with the EU, while the Palestinian Authority has
an interim agreement focusing on the social and eco-
nomic  development  of  the  West  Bank  and  the  Gaza
Strip. Unfortunately, because of the political climate in
2006, it has been difficult to implement this.
Today,  the  Barcelona  process  remains  the  only  multi-
lateral forum outside the UN where all parties affected
by  the  Middle  East  conflict,  including  Israel  and  the
Palestinians, sit together and are recognised as equal
partners.

Progress  has  also  been  made  to  increase  multilateral
cooperation, through the adoption of cumulative rules
of origin and efforts to free up services and agricultural
trade.

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EU offers support

Since the end of hostilities in Iraq, the EU made clear
that  it  wanted  to  play  a  full  role  in  the  country’s
reconstruction.  It  also  signalled  that  the  success  of
this  effort  depended  on  improved  security,  the  UN
playing a strong role and the adoption of a realistic
schedule  for  handing  over  political  responsibility  to
the Iraqi people. 

The first donors’ conference focusing on Iraqi recon-
struction was held in October 2003 in Madrid. At the
conference, the EU encouraged the UN and the World
Bank  to  set  up  an 
independent  multi-donor
International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq to
channel international community aid to the country.
The  EU  and  its  Member  States  also  pledged  over 
€ 1.25 billion for Iraqi reconstruction.

The  EU  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  inter -

national  community’s  efforts  to  support  the
reconstruction of Iraq and the country’s political 

transition following the 2003 war.

The country made progress politically in 2005 as elec-
tions  in  January  that  year  –  the  first  democratic 
elections for half a century – established a transitional
government and a first transitional national assembly.
The  Iraqi  people  approved  a  new  Constitution  in 
a  referendum  in  October  2005. And  fresh  elections
were  held  in  December  2005  for  a  fully-fledged 
government due to be in office for four years.

However,  acute  insecurity  in  the  country  continues.
Suicide  bombings,  kidnappings  and  killings  are 
a  daily  event  hampering  the  recovery,  as  are  sabo-
tages of electricity lines and oil and water pipelines.
Many  international  organisations,  including  NGOs,
have  withdrawn  their  international  staff  from  the
country, while others have needed to provide robust
security arrangements for their staff.  

Iraq has the second largest proven oil reserves in the
world. It has an abundant supply of arable land and
water  resources,  a  skilled  labour  force  and  many
small  businesses  from  which  to  expand  its  private
sector.  But  its  immediate  economic  prospects  are
heavily dependent on the security situation. 

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The EU promised to boost ties with Iraq by negotiating
a  new  Trade  and  Cooperation  Agreement  with
Baghdad  once  a  new  government  had  been  formed
after the December 2005 elections. EU Member States
gave the European Commission a mandate to negotiate
the  accord  in  March  2006  and  negotiations  were
opened in November 2006.

Establishing contractual relations with Iraq in this way
would mark a major step in the country’s return to the
international  fold.  The  agreement  should  not  just 
promote bilateral trade but strengthen cooperation in
various  fields,  act  as  an  anchor  for  Iraqi  reforms  and
socio-economic development, and help foster regional
stability.

In order to facilitate contacts with the Iraqi authorities,
the  European  Commission  opened  a  Delegation  in 
Iraq  in  2005  and  appointed  its  first  Head  of
Delegation/Ambassador in July 2006. 

‘The Iraqis are seeking a significant partner-
ship with the EU, and we intend to meet their
expectations.’

Benita Ferrero-Waldner
Commissioner for External Relations 
and European Neighbourhood Policy

Boosting the economy

The EU wants to work with the Iraqi authorities to help
the country diversify its oil-driven economy and build
bilateral relations in the key areas of energy, trade and
investment. 

The  European  Union  has  already  granted  Iraq  prefer-
ential access to EU markets and is supporting its bid to
join the World Trade Organisation, to assist Iraq’s tran-
sition  process  and  its  re-integration  into  the  world
trading system.

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Helping to build democracy

The  European  Union  has  been  a  key  supporter  of  the
political process in Iraq. Working hand in hand with the
UN and the International Electoral Commission for Iraq
(IECI), it provided financial support and technical experts
to support the practical preparation of the January 2005
elections,  the  October  2005  constitutional  referendum
and the December 2005 elections.

It  has  also  provided  substantial  support  to  the  IECI  in
several key aspects of the preparatory process, including
outreach efforts and the training of domestic electoral
observers.

Laying the foundations for a wider 
relationship

The  EU  went  on  to  launch,  in  2004,  a  medium-term
strategy  for  building  its  engagement  with  Iraq.  This
communication outlined concrete steps of engagement
accompanying  the  political  transition  in  the  country.
Once the first constitutionally elected government was
in  place  in  June  2006,  the  EU  had  a  fresh  look  at  its
relations  with  Iraq  and  proposed  a  renewed  engage-
ment focused on five priority areas. These were support
to  democracy,  system  of  rule  of  law  and  a  culture  of
human rights, improved delivery of basic services, sup-
port mechanisms paving the way for economic recov-
ery and development of a transparent administration. 

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Strong on aid

Although  the  EU  had  no  political  or  contractual  rela-
tions  with  Iraq  under  Saddam  Hussein's  24-year
regime, it provided humanitarian aid during the sanc-
tions.  From  1992  onwards,  it  was  the  largest  single
donor of humanitarian assistance to Iraq after the UN.
To date the European Commission has provided more
than € 720 million. 

The assistance has been focused on three areas: restor-
ing key public services such as education, health, water
and  sanitation;  supporting  the  political  process  and
democratisation;  and  strengthening  Iraq’s  institutions
and administrations. The EU channels the bulk of its aid
through the UN and World Bank Trust Funds monitored
by a donors’ committee. 

EU rule of law mission for Iraq

The EU launched, in July 2005, a rule of law mission for
Iraq  named  EUJUST  LEX  to  strengthen  the  country’s
justice system.

More than 800 judges, investigating magistrates, sen-
ior police and penitentiary officers in senior manage-
ment  have  already  participated  in  integrated training
courses conducted in Member States based on a com-
mon curriculum. Throughout, the mission is working in
consultation with the Iraqi authorities. 

The  mission  was  given  an  initial  one-year  mandate,
which  has  been  extended  for  another  18  months. 
The budget for the mission amounts to € 21.2 million
to date.

The Iraq compact

The EU has welcomed the progress made in developing
the International Compact with Iraq since the launch of
the Compact process in July 2006. The Compact aims
to bring together the international community to sup-
port Iraq in achieving its National Vision of building a
‘secure, unified, federal and democratic nation, founded
on the principles of freedom and equality, and providing
peace  and  prosperity  for  its  people’.  The  EU  has
expressed  its  readiness  to  participate  actively  in  the
Compact  process  and  underlined  the  importance  it
attaches  to  Iraqi  ownership  and  inclusiveness  of  this
process,  and  to  the  broad  involvement  of  the  inter -
national community, including the active participation
of Iraq’s neighbours and partners in the region. 

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Europe has experienced different types of terror-

ism  in  its  history.  But  in  the  last  decade  the
nature  of  the  threat  has  changed.  The  most
recent  wave  of  terrorism  has  been  global  in  scope
and  ruthless  in  the  level  of  violence  used  against
civilians. No country is immune from terrorism or can
take the risk of being complacent. 

This violence was tragically brought home to Europe
with the 11th of March 2004 Madrid train bombings.
Over 190 people died and almost 2,000 were injured.
It was one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in
an EU country. It was followed in July 2005 by deadly
terror attacks in London.

Feeding terrorism

Although political grievance can be a more immedi-
ate motivator for terrorists, poverty can contribute to
radicalisation  as  young  men  –  and  increasingly
women – lose hope in their future and trust in their
governments  for  solutions.  Terrorist  organisations
aim  to  exploit  these  grievances  and  give  religious 
justification for their actions.

Terrorism flourishes in regional conflict and in states
that do not have the capacity or the means to main-
tain  law  and  order.  There,  terrorists  can  hide  from
arrest and train their recruits. 

The EU created the post of Counter-terrorism coord -
inator, held until March 2007 by Gijs de Vries, after the
Madrid bombings.

The  EU  is  working  in  Europe  and  internationally  to 
prevent people turning to terrorism by tackling the factors
which can lead to radicalisation and recruitment.

‘Terrorism is frightening in its unpredictability, unsett-
ling by its seemingly random nature – its capacity to
strike apparently anywhere, anytime, anyone.’  

But he also underlines the EU’s commitment to combat
terrorism  while  respecting  human  rights. ‘The  EU  is
trying hard to find the right balance between human
rights and security. We want to be safe, but we do not
want to jeopardise our values and principles. We  are,
after all, engaged in a struggle over values.’

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EU priority results in swift action

The  fight  against  terrorism  is  a  priority  in  all  EU
Member  States.  It  is  a  difficult  fight  as  there  is  no 
single,  tightly  controlled  terrorist  network.  Since  9/11
and  other  attacks,  the  EU  has  developed  a  range  of
policies to strengthen the EU’s ability to counter it. The
measures look to build both internal and international
protection recognising the two are inextricably linked.

The EU’s starting point in the fight against terror is its
December 2003 Security Strategy. This identified terrorism
as a growing strategic threat to the whole of Europe. 
It stated that Europe was both a target and a base for
terrorism,  and  that  concerted  European  action  was
indispensable.

The  EU  has,  in  December  2005,  adopted  a  specific
strategy  on  counter-terrorism  –  with  the  objective  to
‘prevent, protect, pursue, respond’ – and on combating
radicalisation and recruitment to terrorism. The counter-
terrorism strategy is the EU’s strategic commitment to
combat  terrorism  globally  and  make  Europe  safer
while respecting human rights.

The EU pursues international cooperation in the fight
against terror in political dialogue with third countries
and in supporting the work of regional or internation-
al bodies, especially the UN. The EU looks to promote
overall security beyond its borders by helping countries
to strengthen institutions and governance, for example
in  training  magistrates,  police,  border  guards  and 
customs officials, or in improving document security at
borders.

(cid:129) Building  internal  protection  –  Member  States
have strengthened their intelligence and police infor-
mation  sharing  and  introduced  a  European  arrest
warrant. They have established a common list of ter-
rorist organisations and individuals. They have built
up civil protection and set up a rapid alert system for
nuclear and other attacks. They have also agreed to
mutually assist each other if there is a terrorist attack
against one of them. They are controlling their exter-
nal borders better, exchanging data on visa applica-
tions,  improving  custom  controls  and  security  at
ports  and  airports. They  are  working  to  strengthen
the  protection  of  critical  economic  infrastructure
such  as  energy,  communications  and  transport. 
To  hamper  the  financing  of  terrorism,  they  have
agreed on new EU legislation on money laundering,
closer  cooperation  on  suspicious  transactions  and

control of cash transfers. They have set up Eurojust,
to coordinate the work of magistrates and prosecu-
tors, Europol, to collect and analyse terrorist-related 
information,  and  an  intelligence  analysis  capability
to assess all aspects of the terrorism threat.

(cid:129) Building international protection – The first line
of defence are the countries of origin of the terrorists
themselves. Each country needs to build up its insti-
tutional capacity – the police, the courts, intelligence
operations,  customs  and  border  controls  and  the
financial institutions – to fight terrorism. It must also
be  willing  to  act.  In  cooperation  with  the  UN  and
like-minded countries, the EU, on top of contributions
from  its  Member  States,  is  providing  counter-
terrorism-related  assistance  worth  around  € 400
million in ongoing programmes for some 80 countries
around the world. This helps them draft and imple-
ment counter-terrorism laws and policies. It is including
counter-terrorism  clauses  in  all  agreements  with
third countries and using development assistance to
erode  the  support  base  for  terrorist  organisations
through a focus on poverty reduction, human rights,
good government and participatory democracy. It is
planning  to  set  up  a  network  of  national  counter-
terrorist experts to assist third countries. It has also
strengthened  cooperation  with  major  partners  like
Russia and the US.

Technology has made it possible for a small number of
people to inflict great damage without the support of
a state.

The WMD  strategy  adopted  in  December  2003  in  the
framework  of  the  European  Security  Strategy  under-
lined  that  non-proliferation,  disarmament  and  arms
control can make an essential contribution in the global
fight  against  terrorism  by  reducing  the  risk  of  non-
state actors gaining access to WMD, radioactive mate-
rials and means of delivery. 

As  External  Relations  Commissioner  Ferrero-Waldner
recently pointed out there are no quick fixes. ‘Winning
the  long-term  battle  is  possible  and  the  EU  has  the
right  policies  and  instruments  to  do  it.  Our  policy  is
right: consolidate universal norms; help third countries
build  their  own  capacities;  and  win  the  hearts  and
minds of people to stop the next generation of terror-
ists  emerging.  Public  expectations  on  the  European
Union  to  respond  effectively  are  huge. And  we  must
not disappoint them.’

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Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest coun-

tries  ravaged  by  23  years  of  war  and  conflict
and four years of severe droughts. It is also the

world’s largest producer of heroin.

When the Soviet-backed government in Kabul fell in
1992,  the  various  Mujahiddin  religious,  tribal  and 
linguistic factions engaged in a devastating civil war.
The Taliban began their rise to power in 1994 and had
taken  control  of  most  of  the  country  by  1998. They
were  renowned  for  their  human  rights  abuses  and
their exclusion of women from public life.

In 2001, US-led military action overthrew the Taliban
regime because of its open-door policy for al-Qaeda
that facilitated the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York
and Washington.

The Bonn conference at the end of 2001 laid the foun-
dations for new Afghan political institutions and started
the long road towards building a new Afghanistan. 

Hamid  Karzai  became  Afghanistan’s  first  democrat -
ically  elected  President  in  December  2004,  while 
the  inauguration  of  a  new  National  Assembly  after 
the  September  2005  parliamentary  and  provincial
elections  –  the  first  such  poll  for  over  30  years  –
marked  the  formal  conclusion  of  the  Bonn  political
transition.

But  the  international  community  will  have  to  stay
engaged in the 'post-Bonn' and Afghanistan itself will
have  to  make  further  efforts  to  face  remaining 
challenges with international support.

A  major  international  conference  in  London  on 
31 January/1 February 2006 launched the Afghanistan
Compact,  the  successor  to  the  Bonn  agreement, 
providing a framework for the international communi-
ty's  engagement  for  the  following  five  years. 
The Compact includes benchmarks and mutual obliga-
tions  to  ensure  coherence  of  effort  between  the
Afghan Government and the international community.

The  EU  underlined  its  continued  commitment  to
Afghanistan as the two sides signed in a joint political
declaration  in  November  2005.  Setting  out  a  new
the  EU  and
long-term  partnership  between 
Afghanistan, the declaration establishes shared prior-
ities  and  commitments  for  the  next  phase  in
Afghanistan's transition. It looks to promote the coun-
try's political and economic development and deepen
EU-Afghan ties.

The  declaration  addresses  political  and  economic 
governance, security sector and justice reform, counter-
narcotics,  development,  human  rights,  civil  society
and refugee return as well as education and culture.

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The EU’s presence

The  EU  provided  humanitarian  aid  throughout  the
Taliban years and has been present in the country since
1988. Aid to the most needy continues today.

When the Taliban fell, the EU worked with other donors
to rebuild the country. It meant starting from scratch:
putting  in  place  government  ministries,  paying  the
salaries  of  teachers  and  the  police,  building  schools
and  hospitals,  repairing  sanitation,  water  supply 
systems, roads and other infrastructure. 

At the 2002 Tokyo donors’ conference, the EU pledged
substantial reconstruction support, including € 1 billion
over five years from the EU budget – a pledge that the
EU  was  on  track  to  fulfil  in  2006. Two  years  later,  it
updated  this  pledge,  and  committed  $  2.2  billion  for
the period 2004-2006.

The  EU  has  a  Special  Representative  in  Afghanistan,
Francesc Vendrell, to work in liaison with the UN and
help implement the EU's policy in the country.

to 

In  addition,  23  out  of  the  27  EU  Member  States  are
contributing 
the  UN-mandated  and  NATO-
commanded  International  Security  Assistance  Force
(ISAF)  which  assists  the  Afghan  authorities  in  main-
taining  security  in  Kabul  and  elsewhere.  Several
Member  States  also  provide  troops  for  the  US-led
coalition  in Afghanistan  and  are  involved  in  training
the  Afghan  National  Army  and  the  Afghan  National
Police. In 2006 such security efforts  have been moving
into the less secure south of the country.

Violence threatens reconstruction

Security  remains  a  key  challenge  facing  Afghanistan
today. Unexploded bombs and mines from the Soviet
occupation  and  civil  war  have  not  disappeared.
Insurgency,  factional  fighting  and  criminality  remain 
a problem in many parts of the country.

Actions  to  disarm  and  demobilise  regional  warlords
and  militia  have  had  some  successes,  with  Afghan
Militia Forces registered with the Ministry of Defence
now disarmed.

But further efforts are needed in particular to control
criminal gangs and irregular militias. The drugs trade,
which  provides  a  lucrative  income  for  the  local  war-
lords and militia, could fuel continued conflict hampering
reconstruction efforts in some areas. 

Giving a voice

‘Good  Morning  Afghanistan’  is  a  daily,  breakfast-
time, radio news programme produced and presented
by young Afghan journalists. It began broadcasting in
2002 over Afghan state radio (RTA) with EU funding.
It goes out in Pashtu and Dari, the main languages
spoken in Afghanistan, and reaches up to 80% of the
population.

Sharifa  Zormaty,  one  of  the  radio  broadcasters
trained to produce and edit the programme, said that
when  they  started,  only  military  and  foreign  radios
were working. ‘Everywhere there was no news about
loved ones who had fled the bombing. There was no
information about combat zones to avoid.’ 

By  the  end  of  2005,  the  Commission  had  provided
support for national distribution of print media, training
of  journalists  at  dozens  of  local  and  regional  radio
stations to report on elections.

The  European  Commission  has  also  taken  the  first
steps towards the transformation of the state broad-
caster, Radio and Television Afghanistan (RTA), into a
public service broadcaster. An EC-funded consortium
made  up  of  the  BBC World  Service Trust,  Deutsche
Welle,  and  Canal  France  International  is  laying  the
foundations for reform by helping develop a charter
for RTA, as well as a board of governors, appropriate
editorial guidelines, and a possible registry of assets.    

The EU sets its priorities

To  identify  the  priority  areas  for  funding,  the  EU
launched a series of expert missions. It also did a lot of
talking  with  Afghan  officials,  local  and  international
NGOs and other donors. Few countries start again from
zero. In the face of this huge need, the choice of where
to begin was difficult.

In  coordination  with  other  donors  and  the  Afghan
authorities, the EU decided to concentrate on four key
sectors – health, rural recovery, infrastructure and public
administration  reform.  Other  areas  of  activity  have
included de-mining, civil society and human rights.  All
its programmes incorporate gender issues, the environ-
ment,  the  rights  of  refugees  and  returnees,  and  drug
issues. The EU also wants to help Afghanistan improve
policing and the rule of law.

Nearly half of EU aid goes to strengthen the government.
It is helping to reform the public sector, build-up key gov-
ernment institutions, pay salaries to key workers such as
teachers and nurses, and deliver essential services.

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The European Union distributed aid in
Afghanistan supporting:
(cid:129) since  2002,  salaries  and  training  of  220,000  public
sector  workers  including  doctors,  nurses,  teachers
and 60,000 police officers;

(cid:129) by the end of 2005, delivery of basic health services in
10 provinces, covering over 20% of the population of
the country;

(cid:129) establishment  of  1,660  drinking-water  supply

schemes;

(cid:129) vaccination of over 1.3 million animals and local pro-
duction  of  more  than  6.3  million  vaccinations  for
livestock;

(cid:129) Promotion of rural livelihoods through work schemes

in 30 provinces;

(cid:129) land-mine  clearance  in  2006  alone  of  29,000 

hectares;

(cid:129) the  most  vulnerable  populations  via  centres  in
Kabul  for  9,000  street  children  and  national 
initiatives to curb family violence.

The EU also channels a lot of money into rural devel-
opment. Over 80% of Afghans depend on agriculture
for their livelihood. In 2003-2005, the European Union
allocated € 131 million to develop the rural economy
and promote alternative livelihoods for the communi-
ties  who  depend  on  illicit  poppy  cultivation.  Other
actions include horticulture production, irrigation and
livestock  development  in  provinces  in  the  north  and
east of the country.

In the health sector, EU aid is providing basic health-care
and funding rural clinics to help reduce the rate of infant
and maternal mortality, one of the highest in the world.

It  is  also  making  an  important  contribution  to  the
regeneration  of  the  national  economy  by  helping  to
repair the road networks and other infrastructures. 

The elections, the first step to democracy

The EU supported Afghanistan's political transition by
helping the country to stage historic elections.

It  supplied  the  largest  international  observation  mis-
sion for the September 2005 elections, stationing more
than 150 observers around the country on election day
and visiting over 1,000 polling stations.

The EU was also the biggest donor to the parliamen-
tary  poll. The  Community  contributed  € 17.5  million,
as  well  as  € 4.1  million  for  the  observation  mission,
with  EU  Member  States'  bilateral  contributions 
topping  € 40  million.  Including  contributions  from
Member States, the EU gave some € 80 million for the
October 2004 Presidential elections.

In addition, through its € 3 million contribution to the
SEAL  (Support  to  the  Establishment  of  the  Afghan
Legislature) project, the EU helped establish the neces-
sary  legal  environment  for  the  first-ever  session  of  the
new Afghan legislature and provided training to Afghan
parliamentarians and administrative and technical staff. 

The EU observers said that, although there were short-
comings, the election was an accomplishment in diffi-
cult circumstances, and an important step in putting in
place  a  representative  government  and  helping  to
bring peace to the country.

Fighting the Drug trade

Since  the  fall  of  the  Taliban,  Afghanistan  has 
re-emerged as the largest producer of opium poppy
in  the  world  representing  over  80%  of  global  pro-
duction. This activity may now account for as much as
60% of its non-drug GDP and involves an estimated
356,000 families.  

The trade is worth $ 2.8 billion a year. Most of this
money goes to the warlords who encourage produc-
tion in their area and to local and regional traffickers.
By  feeding  corruption  and  violence,  such  a  huge
amount  of  drug  money  can  destabilise  the  whole
country and undermine reconstruction efforts.

Laboratories  within  Afghanistan  now  process  an
increasing proportion of the harvest into morphine or
heroin. The remaining processing is done outside the
country, along the drug route.  

Some  90%  of  the  heroin  on  Europe's  streets  is
thought to come from poppies grown in Afghanistan.
Balkan criminal networks distribute most of it.  

The  EU,  alongside  other  donors  and  the  Afghan
Government, are trying to develop the rural economy
to  ensure  that  farmers  who  have  turned  to  opium 
production have access to licit alternative livelihoods. 

Pre-1979, the country was exporting fresh and dried
fruit to its neighbours. The EU is now repairing roads
and other infrastructures in the rural areas to recon-
nect Afghans  to  their  traditional  export  routes.  It  is
also helping with irrigation and supporting horticul-
tural farmers and those with livestock.

But this is a long-term strategy which must be com-
plemented by stronger law enforcement – capacity to
arrest  traffickers  and  traders,  the  laws  to  prosecute,
the police to enforce them, well trained judges, func-
tioning courts and secure prisons.

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effective law enforcement across Afghanistan, and reinforce-
ment of border controls along the Afghan/Iranian border.

The EU has also channelled € 15 million into the Counter-
Narcotics  Trust  Fund  managed  by  the  UN  Development
Programme.

The cost of drug routes

Drug trafficking has an unlimited capacity to corrupt political
institutions. It can bribe or get rid of officials, police officers,
prison  guards  but  also  politicians,  ministers,  judges,
bankers, jurors and, in some cases, even voters. 

It affects not only the drug-producing countries but also
every country that the drug traffickers use to reach their
markets. It operates through transnational networks that
use  all  available  means  to  move  their  goods  –  physical 
violence, bribery, corruption but also technology and the
facility  generated  by  the  increasing  free  movement  of
goods and people.

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Tougher controls underway

One of the legacies of Afghanistan’s prolonged conflict is
that police, security forces and other institutions including
the criminal justice sector need to be developed to cope with
the scale of the problem. Following his election, President
Karzai has renewed his government’s commitment to deal
vigorously with the drug trade. Institutions and capacity are
being strengthened with international support.

The Afghan Government launched at the London conference
an updated National Drug Control Strategy, which includes
moves  to  build  up  central  and  provincial  institutions and
boost governance. It sets out counter-narcotics priorities
including  targetting  traffickers  and  trade,  strengthening
and  diversifying  legal  livelihoods,  developing  effective
counter-narcotic institutions, and reducing demand.

The UK leads international support for the drug control effort
in Afghanistan. It has helped the government to shape its
anti-drug strategy and is training a counter narcotics police
force.  It  has  set  up  mobile  detection  units  to  pick up  the
mobile laboratories and a central eradication planning cell
gathering information where poppies are grown. The EU
also gives money to this effort through LOTFA (Law and
Order Trust  Fund  for Afghanistan),  set  up  to  pay  police
salaries and provide training.

European  Union  assistance  has  helped  the  Afghan
Government to  improve  its  law  enforcement  capacity  as
part of the overall counter-narcotics effort. In 2003-2005
it provided € 98 million to support the police in delivering

Drug  trafficking  creates  an  informal  economy  along  the
routes  that  is  uses.  It  spreads  an  economic  model  that
facilitates  all  types  of  trafficking  –  human  beings,  cars,
industrial waste, cigarettes and so on.

Violent  conflict  is  a  constant  threat  along  the  two  main
drug  routes  to  Europe:  the  cocaine  road  from  Latin
America and the heroin road from Afghanistan. Drug use
has  also  risen  along  these  routes  having  an  impact  on
public health and often increasing HIV/AIDS.

EU Mission to train Afghan police

The EU is fielding a police mission to support the Afghan
National Police from June 2007.

The mission – EUPOL Afghanistan – aims at contributing to
the establishment of sustainable and effective civilian policing
arrangements  under  Afghan  ownership  and  in  accordance
with international standards. The mission will monitor, mentor,
advise and train at the level of the Afghan Ministry of Interior,
regions and provinces.

It consists of some 160 police, law enforcement and justice
experts  deployed  at  the  central  (Kabul),  regional  and
provincial levels.

EUPOL Afghanistan is part of the overall EU commitment
to Afghanistan and of a coordinated EU approach. It will
tie in with Community programmes, notably in the field of
justice reform.

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© Panos

Moldova,  an  ex-Soviet  state  located  between

Romania and Ukraine, is one of the poorest
countries  in  Europe. The  country’s  develop-
ment and stability are hampered by the ‘frozen con-
flict’  between  Moldova  proper  and  the  breakaway
Transnistria  region  in  the  east  of  the  country.  Since
the  accession  of  Romania  to  the  EU  this  conflict  is
right on the EU’s borders.

Transnistria  declared  independence  as  the  Soviet
Union collapsed, leading to a brief civil war in 1992.
The  self-proclaimed  Transnistrian  authorities  are
internationally unrecognised and the dispute is yet to
be  resolved. The  conflict  has  a  significant  economic
and  trade  dimension,  because  much  of  Moldova’s
industry is located in the Transnistria region.

The EU supports Moldova's territorial integrity and is
helping to resolve the conflict in a variety of ways. It
has stepped up its engagement with Moldova and its
presence  on  the  ground  in  the  last  year.  In  March
2005,  the  EU  appointed  the  first  EU  Special
Representative  for  Moldova,  who  works  under  the
operational  direction  of  High  Representative  Javier
Solana.  The  EU  contributes  to  conflict  resolution
through aid, diplomacy and expert advice on border
and  customs  issues.  And  it  looks  to  promote
Moldova’s  development  and  political  and  economic
ties  with  the  EU  through  European  Neighbourhood
Policy.  The  Transnistria  conflict  is  in  many  ways  a 
special conflict that needs special answers.

Boosting Neighbourhood ties 
with Moldova

Moldova's relations with the EU are in the context of
the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the policy
framework by which the EU seeks to deepen its polit-
ical and economic relationships with its eastern and
southern neighbours. The 1998 EU-Moldova Partner-
ship  and  Cooperation Agreement  provides  for  trade
liberalisation,  legislative  harmonisation,  political dia-
logue  and  cooperation  on  a  range  of  other  issues.
Building  on  this,  an  ENP  Action  Plan  was  jointly
agreed and adopted in February 2005. This document,
which  contains  a  range  of  agreed  medium-term
reform priorities and the steps by which these will be
achieved,  is  a  valuable  new  tool  by  which  Moldova
and  the  EU  can  further  deepen  their  political  and 
economic relations.

To  further  strengthen  the  EU  presence  in  Moldova
and to support Moldova in the implementation of the
ENP  Action  Plan,  the  Commission  opened  a
Delegation in Chisinau in October 2005.

One  of  the  key  priorities  in  the  ENP Action  Plan  is
support for efforts to achieve a lasting resolution of
the  Transnistria  problem.  Promoting  reforms  in
Moldova,  such  as  improving  the  business  climate,
also  helps  to  make  Moldova  more  attractive  to
Transnistria.

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Supporting  border  management  –  the  Border
Assistance Mission

the  Moldovan-Ukrainian  border,  or  to  other  police 
stations, customs posts or revenue accounting offices. 

The  European  Commission,  with  the  key  contribution  of
EU  Member  States  that  seconded  customs  and  border
guards officials to participate in the mission, launched, in
December 2005, a Border Assistance Mission to Moldova
and  Ukraine  following  a  request  from  the  Presidents  of
the  two  countries.  Some  70  border  police  and  customs
officials from 16 EU Member States advise and train the
countries' border and customs services.

The purpose of the Mission is to improve border manage-
ment, strengthen cross-border cooperation and help prevent
trafficking in people, smuggling of goods, proliferation of
weapons and customs fraud across the Moldova-Ukraine
border, including the Transnistria segment.

It is hoped that the mission could also contribute to fos-
tering  a  resolution  of  the  Transnistria  conflict.  Illegal
smuggling  is  believed  to  help  sustain  the  unrecognised
Transnistrian  authorities.  And  the  mission  has  already
detected  major  illegal  economic  activities  surrounding
Transnistria. Sound border management should also bring
economic benefits for Moldova and Ukraine by increasing
transparency, preventing corruption and helping to ensure
that  the  Government  in  Chisinau,  as  well  as  the
Government of Ukraine, receives all duties owed to them.

Headquartered in Odessa, Ukraine, with seven field offices
(two became operational in July 2006), the budget of the
mission is € 20 million for two years. A number of mobile
teams  can  make  unannounced  visits  to  any  location  on

The Head of the EU Border Assistance Mission also serves
as senior political advisor to the EUSR for Moldova. 

‘The EU looks forward to working with the Governments
of Moldova and Ukraine – at all levels – to achieve our
shared  aims  and  values  on  this  border,  and  to  bring 
sustainable  stability  to  the  region’,  declared  EU  foreign
policy chief Javier Solana at the mission's launch.

In March 2006, the EU welcomed the fact that Moldova and
Ukraine had started to implement a joint customs declara-
tion by the Prime Ministers of the two countries,  whereby
Ukraine  only  recognises  Moldovan  customs  stamps  and
Moldova facilitates the registration of Transdnistrian firms in
Chisinau. The implementation of this declaration can play a
key role in establishing an orderly border regime, as well as
building  common  interests  between  Chisinau  and  the
Transnistrian  companies,  which  can  benefit  from  all  trade
benefits given to Moldovan companies. However, the imple-
mentation of the agreement has been complicated by the
decision  of  the Transnistrian  authorities  to  block  trade  on
their  borders,  and  to  try  to  prevent  the  registration  of
Transnistrian economic agents in Chisinau. 

In response to the blockade, Mr Solana called on the self-
proclaimed Transnistrian authorities not to block this regis-
tration or impede trade flows and said that the EU stood
ready, notably through the Border Assistance Mission, to
help  solve  practical  difficulties  that  might  arise  in  imple-
mentation of the new regime.

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Stepping up political contacts

Getting involved in peace talks

The  EU  Special  Representative  (EUSR)  for  Moldova,
Ambassador  Adriaan  Jacobovits  de  Szeged,  was
appointed  by  the  Council  on  23  March  2005.  He  was
replaced in 2007 by Kálmán Miszei. Who is supported
by a team of experts, located in Brussels, Chisinau, Kyiv
and Odessa, and who also ensure liaison with the EU
Border  Assistance  Mission.  Among  other  things,  the
EUSR's mandate includes contributing to the peaceful
solution of the Transnistria conflict, contributing to the
strengthening of democracy, rule of law, and respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms for all citizens
of the Republic of Moldova, promoting close relations
between Moldova and the EU and contributing to sta-
bility and cooperation in the region. 

The EU showed that it wanted to deepen relations with
Moldova as the European Commission opened a new
delegation  office  in  early  October  2005  in  Moldova’s
capital Chisinau.

In October 2005, the EU took on a concrete diplomatic
role in the Transnistria settlement process as it joined
the  existing  multi-party  negotiations  as  an  observer,
along with the United States. The new 5+2 talks bring
together  representatives  of  Moldova  and Transnistria
and mediators from Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE,  as
well as observers from the EU and the United States.

Supplying financial assistance

The EU’s policy objectives in Moldova are underpinned
by  significant  financial  support.  The  EU  gives  assis-
tance of some € 35 million every year to Moldova, and
this is expected to further increase from 2007. This pro-
vides,  for  example,  for  policy  advice,  economic  assis-
tance,  strengthening  the  capacity  of  institutions,  the
rule  of  law  and  the  independence  of  the  judiciary,
poverty reduction and food security.

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Indonesia  has  undergone  remarkable  change  in

recent years, making an impressive transition from
autocratic to democratic government and achiev-
ing  progress  in  many  areas,  notably  the  respect  for
human  rights  and  the  fight  against  corruption,  and
economic development. In parallel, the EU-Indonesia
relationship has developed and deepened. 

The EU recognises Indonesia as a major partner, and
the country is indeed one of the EU's most important
economic and trade partners in South-East Asia. The
EU fully supports the territorial integrity of Indonesia.

More broadly, the EU has supported domestic reform
in  Indonesia  by  committing  itself  to  long-term  con-
structive partnership with the country and its govern-
ment,  and  by  using  the  comprehensive  range  of
instruments at its disposal to promote development
and security. The EU continues to assist Indonesia with
inclusive  policy dialogues  and  cooperation  in  many
areas,  as  well  as  financially and by developing ever-
stronger political ties. 

Indonesia,  the  largest  country  in  South-East  Asia,
held  free  and  fair  parliamentary  elections  in  1999,
and again in 2004. It also staged its first ever direct
presidential  elections  in  2004,  hailed  as  the  first
peaceful transition of power in Indonesia's history. 

The EU sent an Election Observation Mission for the
2004 elections and provided significant financial back-
ing for their organisation, as well as support for voter
education and information through cooperation with
non-governmental organisations.

‘We realised that a swift deployment of a
size able mission was crucial – and we deliv-
ered as promised. Our monitoring mission
was on the ground the very moment the
Helsinki peace agreement was signed.’

Javier Solana
High Representative for the CFSP
Secretary-General of the Council

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The EU is by far the biggest donor to the Multi-Donor
Trust  Fund  for  long-term  reconstruction  in  Indonesia,
accounting for 85% of the total fund of some € 440
million.  The  Fund,  co-chaired  by  the  Government  of
Indonesia,  the  Commission  and  the  World  Bank, 
promotes reconstruction and sustainable development
in affected areas in Aceh and North Sumatra. 

Projects  address  land  ownership,  community  infra-
structure  and  housing.  Work  on  restoring  land  titles
has  rehabilitated  the  land  administration  system  in
Aceh  and  Nias  Island.  Technical  assistance  provides
Aceh's  reconstruction  agency  with  the  necessary
expertise for the reconstruction process and for coordi-
nating  international  and  national  assistance.  Other
projects  include  the  rehabilitation  of  forest  and  envi-
ronment, rural roads and disaster response logistics.

The European Commission's Delegation in Jakarta also
runs  a  ‘Europe  House’  in  Aceh  to  facilitate  donor 
co-ordination  for  rehabilitation  and  reconstruction,
and  enhance  policy  dialogue  with  local  communities
and authorities.

The EU at work – giving people a home

Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the December
2004  tsunami.  In Aceh,  the  earthquake  and  flooding
left 180,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands
of  people  suffering  and  homeless.  Together  with  the
Government  and  the  World  Bank,  the  European
Commission leads a trust fund for reconstruction. The
Commission  is  the  biggest  single  donor  to  the  fund,
with a € 210 million commitment out of a total € 440
million.  A  € 120  million  ‘Housing  and  Settlement
Project’,  launched  in  September  2005,  rebuilds  and
repairs  houses  in  rural  villages  and  urban  neighbour-
hoods. About 25,000 houses are built or repaired over
two years. The scheme also provides grants for commu-
nity infrastructure.

Stepping up cooperation

Building  on  the  existing  regular  political  dialogue, 
EU-Indonesia relations reached a historic high in early
2006 with the launch of negotiations on a Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement. The agreement provides a
new policy framework and an agenda for wide-ranging
cooperation. 

EU-Indonesia  cooperation  has  been  upgraded  to
reflect  the  quality  of  the  relationship.  Up  to  the  mid-
1990s, EU support centred on traditional development
projects.  Today,  EU-Indonesia  cooperation  embraces
areas  like  education,  the  management  of  natural
resources, including countering illegal logging and timber
trade, governance, fiscal reform, trade-related technical
assistance as well as cross-border crime. 

Since 2002, Indonesia was a victim of severe terrorist
atrocities.  Cooperating  in  combating  such  crimes  is
high on both sides' agenda, and Indonesia is the EU’s
main partner on this score in South-East Asia. 

Following up on its efforts to deal with the consequences
of the December 2004 tsunami, the EU is also backing
Indonesian efforts to tackle regional conflicts through its
presence on the ground in the province of Aceh. 

Rebuilding after the tsunami

Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the devastating
Indian  Ocean  tsunami  of  December  2004.  The  EU
responded  rapidly  to  the  disaster,  and  was  on  the
ground  the  day  the  tsunami  hit,  with  the  European
Commission  delivering  € 45  million  in  humanitarian
assistance. The EU funded and coordinated emergency
relief actions such as health services, tracing and reuni-
fication  of  separated  families,  the  provision  of  safe
drinking water and sanitation, an epidemic early warning
system and telecommunications.

Humanitarian  assistance  also  provided  for  the  restart
of  fishing  and  farming  activities.  The  EU  (European
Commission  and  Member  States)  put  € 200  million
towards 
tsunami
the  short-term  humanitarian 
response in Indonesia in 2004/2005. The EU provided
much-needed assistance in Indonesia's Aceh province
–  where  the  effect  of  the  tsunami  was  particularly
devastating – and made a substantial contribution to
support the resolution of the decades-long conflict in
the region.

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Promoting lasting peace in Aceh

Indonesia's Aceh province had been plagued for three
decades  by  violence  and  unrest  until  the  Indonesian
Government and the then rebel Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) reached a peace agreement in August 2005. The
devastation of the tsunami was an undoubted catalyst.

The EU was instrumental in the peace process, provid-
ing financial and political backing to the efforts of former
Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari to broker a deal. 

The agreement, signed in Helsinki on 15 August 2005,
saw the sides seek a peaceful, comprehensive and sus-
tainable  solution  to  the  conflict. The  GAM  leadership
renounced  its  claim  for  independence  and  agreed  to
surrender  its  weapons  and  demobilise  its  military
troops  in  exchange  for  wide-ranging  political  auton -
omy, including the right to establish local political par-
ties,  while  the  Government  substantially  withdrew
security  forces.  Both  parties  recognised  that  monitor-
ing  the  truthful  implementation  of  the  peace  deal
would be of utmost importance. 

Based on an invitation by the Government of Indonesia
and  with  the  support  of  the  Free  Aceh  Movement
(GAM)  leadership,  the  EU  proved  its  commitment  to
help the peace process. On the very day of the signing
of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding, the EU
promptly  deployed  a  monitoring  presence  on  the
ground.  The  civilian,  230-strong  Aceh  Monitoring
Mission (AMM) successfully and pro-actively followed
the  implementation  of  the  peace  agreement,  thus
building trust and confidence between the parties. Five
countries  from  ASEAN  (the  Association  of  Southeast
Asian  Nations)  –  Brunei,  Malaysia,  Philippines,
Singapore  and Thailand  –  joined  the  EU-led  scheme,
with contributions from Norway and Switzerland.

This was a landmark for the EU. No other mission has
been  deployed  more  quickly. The AMM  was  breaking
new ground for future European Security and Defence
Policy (ESDP) missions with its unique mix of EU tools,
drawing on both civilian and military expertise. It has
significant positive implications for the EU's relations
with South-East Asia.

Beyond  monitoring,  political,  administrative  and  eco-
nomic  problems  need  to  be  addressed  to  sustain  the
peace  process.  Therefore,  the  European  Commission
continues its commitment, through re-integration pro-
grammes  for  former  combatants,  technical  assistance
and  capacity-building  in  local  governance  and  police
training.  The  Government  of  Indonesia  invited  the
Commission also helped stage local elections in 2006.
This  included  an  EU  Election  Observation  Mission
together  with  the  European  Parliament. The  free  and
fair elections in the province were proving the sincer ity
of all stakeholders to build a new future for Aceh with-
in the Indonesian Republic. Aceh became a symbol for
the  EU’s  ability  to  work  for  peace,  and  a  practical
example of the broad range of instruments needed in
crisis management – something the EU is increasingly
capable to provide. 

‘We have offered Indonesia a set of compre-
hensive measures in support of the Aceh peace
process. We are happy that the full use of our
toolbox contributes to a lasting peace in Aceh,
and that we help Indonesia to increase security
and the welfare of the population, and to pro-
tect human rights.’ 

Benita Ferrero-Waldner
Commissioner for External Relations 
and European Neighbourhood Policy

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The Council of the European Union (EU) that comprises Member State governments.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu

The Secretary-General of the Council of the EU and the High Representative for the Common Foreign 
and Security Policy (CFSP), Javier Solana, who assists the Council and acts on its behalf.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/solana

The European Commission which contributes to the formulation of the EU’s external relations policy and 
manages the EU’s humanitarian and development assistance and its trade relations with third countries. 
It has 120 Delegations and Offices around the World.
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/

The European Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who is responsible for external relations and 
the European Neighbourhood Policy in the Commission.
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/ferrero-waldner/ 

The European Parliament, which has directly elected members drawn from the main political parties 
in the 27 EU Member States.
http://www.europarl.eu.int/

The President of the European Parliament’s Committee for Foreign Relations, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, 
who is responsible for coordinating the Parliament’s external relations policy and organises its election 
observation missions.
http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/afet_home.htm

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AU (see African Union)

Aceh  Monitoring  Mission  (AMM) –  The  European
Union,  together  with  contributing  countries  from
ASEAN,  as  well  as  Norway  and  Switzerland,  has
deployed  a  monitoring  mission  in  Aceh  (Indonesia).
This mission was designed to monitor the implementa-
tion of various aspects of the peace agreement set out
in  the  Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoU)  signed
by  the  Government  of  Indonesia  and  the  Free  Aceh
Movement  (GAM)  on  15  August  2005.  The  AMM
became  operational  on  15  September  2005,  the  date
on  which  the  decommissioning  of  GAM  armaments
and  the  relocation  of  non-organic  military  and  policy
forces began. It was concluded on 15 December 2006
following local elections in Aceh.
www.consilium.europa.eu/amm

African Peace Facility – The EU-funded African Peace
Facility, worth 
 250 million, provides the AU and sub-
regional organisations with the resources necessary to
mount an effective response to the ravages caused by
conflict.
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/r12529.htm

African Union (AU) – This is an international organ -
isation promoting cooperation among the independent
nations of Africa.
www.africa-union.org

AMIS (The African Union’s peacekeeping mission
in Sudan/Darfur) – The AMIS mission in the Darfur is
the  first  peace-keeping  operation  carried  out  by  the
African  Union  (AU),  and  it  is  also  a  test  case  for  the
AU–EU partnership. One of the main goals of AMIS is
to restore security in order to put an end to violence
and atrocities against civilians as well as to allow the
delivery  of  humanitarian  aid,  which  remains  vital  for 
3 million people. The EU supports AMIS through fund-
ing via the African Peace Facility and a civilian–military
supporting action.

Artemis –  Artemis  was  the  first  autonomous  military
operation of the EU, conducted in 2003 in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. It was aimed, inter alia, at contribut-
ing to the stabilisation of the security conditions and the
improvement of the humanitarian situation in Bunia in
the eastern region of Ituri.
www.consilium.europa.eu/artemis

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) –
The  Association  was  established  on  8  August  1967  in
Bangkok by the five original Member Countries, namely,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on
28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and
Cambodia on 30 April 1999. 
http://www.aseansec.org/64.htm

B

Barcelona  Process,  The –  The  Euro-Mediterranean
Conference  of  Ministers  of  Foreign  Affairs,  held  in
Barcelona on 27–28 November 1995, marked the start-
ing  point  of  the  Euro-Mediterranean  Partnership
(Barcelona  Process),  a  wide  framework  of  political,
economic  and  social  relations  between  the  Member
States  of  the  European  Union  and  Partners  of  the
Southern Mediterranean.
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/euromed/

C

Cotonou  Agreement,  2003 –  This  trade,  aid  and
political  agreement  signed  in  Cotonou,  Benin  in  June
2000  between  the  77  African,  Caribbean  and  Pacific
(ACP) States and the EU entered into force on 1 April
2003. The partnership sets goals for the next 20 years
centred on the reduction of poverty, the prevention of
violent conflicts, and improved governance. 
http://ec.europa.eu/development/Geographical/
 CotonouIntro_en.cfm

Council of the European Union, The – The Council is
the  EU's  main  decision-making  body.  It  consists  of  a
representative  of  each  Member  State  at  ministerial
level.  Depending  on  the  issue  on  the  agenda,  each
country will be represented by the minister responsible
for that subject (foreign affairs, finance, social affairs,
transport,  agriculture,  etc.).  The  presidency  of  the
Council is held for six months by each Member State
on  a  rotational  basis. The  Council  defines  and  imple-
ments  the  EU’s  common  foreign  and  security  policy,
based on guidelines set by the European Council.
www.consilium.europa.eu

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Election Observation Mission (EOM) in Afghanistan
The EOM was set up to monitor the parliamentary elec-
tions  in  Afghanistan  in  September  2005.  Working
under the leadership of Ms Emma Bonino, Member of
the European Parliament and its Committee on Foreign
Affairs,  the  EOM  is  a  further  contribution  by  the
European Commission to promote peace and democ-
ratisation  in Afghanistan.  Because  of  its  democratisa-
tion  and  human  rights  policy, the  European  Union
organise  effectively  several  EOMs  throughout  the
world. 
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/human_
rights/eu_election_ass_observ/index.htm

ENP (see European Neighbourhood Policy)

EOM (see Election Observation Mission) 

ESDP (see European Security and Defence Policy)

EU (see European Union, The)

EUBAM 
(EU  Border  Assistance  Mission  to
Moldova and Ukraine) – The mission was established
by the EU on 2 June 2005. The aim is to create a sys-
tem  of  border  and  customs  controls  and  border  sur-
veillance, which meets European standards, as well as
the legitimate needs of the citizens of each country.
www.eubam.org

EUBAM  Rafah – The EUBAM Rafah mission under the
European Security and Defence Policy was launched in
November 2005 to monitor the operations of the Rafah
border  crossing  point  following  the  ‘Agreement  on
Movement and Access’ concluded between Israel and
the Palestinian Authority.
www.consilium.europa.eu/eubam-rafah

EUFOR  ALTHEA –  The  EU  has  been  conducting  the
mili tary  operation  EUFOR  ALTHEA  in  Bosnia  and
Herzegovina (BiH) since 2 December 2004. The 6,500-
strong  operation,  which  followed  on  from  the  NATO-
led SFOR, is the EU's largest military operation to date.
www.euforbih.org

EUFOR  RD  Congo  – The  EU  conducted  the  military
operation  EUFOR  RD  Congo  in  support  of  the  UN
Mission  in  the  Democratic  Republic  of  the  Congo
(MONUC) during the election process. Deployed on the
eve of the first round of elections in July 2006, it was
successfully concluded on 30 November 2006.
www.consilium.europa.eu/eufor-drcongo

EUJUST LEX – Following an invitation from the Iraqi
Transitional Government, the EU Council launched the
EUJUST LEX integrated rule-of-law mission for Iraq on
21  February  2005. The  mission  consists  of  integrated
training  in  the  fields  of  management  and  criminal
investigation, to be given to a representative group of
senior  officials  and  executive  staff  from  the  judiciary,
the  police  and  the  penitentiary  services.  The  opera-
tional phase started on 1 July 2005, and after an initial
duration of 12 months was extended until the end of
December 2007.
www.consilium.europa.eu/eujust-lex

EU-Moldova  Partnership  and  Cooperation
Agreement  –  This  agreement  was  signed  on 
28  November  1994  by  the  European  Union  and  the
Republic of Moldova. It aims to reinforce the relations
between the EU and Moldova, as well as support the
reforms  in  the  political  and  economic  domains  in
Moldova.
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/moldova/
intro/index.htm

EUPM – The European Union Police Mission (EUPM) in
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  (BiH)  was  the  first  mission
under the European Security and Defence Policy when
it was launched on 1 January 2003, following on from
the  UN's  International  Police  Task  Force.  It  seeks  to
establish sustainable policing arrangements under BiH
ownership  in  accordance  with  best  European  and
international practice. After an initial three-year period,
a new stage of EUPM started in January 2006. The mis-
sion currently comprises some 200 international staff.
www.eupm.org

(EU  Police  Mission  for  the
EUPOL-COPPS 
Palestinian  Territories)  –  The  European  Council
established  the  Mission,  code-named  EUPOL-COPPS, 
in  November  2005  under  the  European  Security  and
Defence Policy (ESDP). It has a long-term reform focus
and  provides  enhanced  support  to  the  Palestinian
Authority  in  establishing  sustainable  and  effective
policing arrangements.
www.consilium.europa.eu/eupol-copps

EUPOL  Kinshasa  – This is a police mission launched
by  the  EU  in  2005  in  the  Democratic  Republic  of
Congo. It monitors, mentors and advises the Integrated
Police Unit (IPU, see below).
www.consilium.europa.eu/eupol-kinshasa

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European  Commission,  The –  The  European
Commission  is  an  institution  independent  of  national
governments.  Its  job  is  to  represent  and  uphold  the
interests of the EU as a whole. It drafts proposals for
new European laws, which it presents to the European
Parliament and the Council. It is also the EU’s executive
arm – in other words, it is responsible for implement-
ing  the  decisions  of  Parliament  and  the  Council. That
means  managing  the  day-to-day  business  of  the
European Union: implementing its policies, running its
programmes  and  spending 
its  funds.  Like  the
Parliament and Council, the European Commission was
set up in the 1950s under the EU’s founding treaties.
http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/comm/
index_en.htm

2007, Hans-Gert Pöttering was elected President of the
European Parliament for a period of two and a half years.
http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/parliamentt/
index_en.htm

European  Security  and  Defence  Policy  (ESDP) –
Since 1999 the European Union has been developing
the  European  Security  and  Defence  Policy  (ESDP)  in
order  to  strengthen  the  EU's  ability  to  resolve  crises.
The ESDP is an element of the EU's Common Foreign
and  Security  Policy  (CFSP),  which  was  established  in
1992  in  the  Maastricht  Treaty.  Civilian  and  military 
crisis  management  operations  have  been  conducted
under the ESDP since 2003.
www.consilium.europa.eu/esdp

European Commission Technical Assistance Office
for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (ECTAO) – The EC
Technical Assistance Office to the West Bank and Gaza
Strip manages the donor assistance programme to the
Palestinians  and  plays  its  role  in  the  diplomatic 
community  associated  with  the West  Bank  and  Gaza
Strip  along  with  Member  States  represented  locally
and the EUSR.
http://www.delwbg.ec.europa.eu/en/index.htm

(EEC),  after 

European Community, The (EC) – This is the present
name  for  what  was  originally  called  the  ‘European
Economic  Community’ 
the  word
‘Economic’  had  been  removed  from  its  name  by  the
Maastrich Treaty. The  six  founding  members  founded
three organisations in the 50s: the European Coal and
Steel Community (ECSC); the European Atomic Energy
Community  (Euratom);  and  the  European  Economic
Community  (EEC). These  three  communities  –  collec-
tively known as the ‘European Communities’ – formed
the basis of what is today the European Union. The EEC
soon became by far the most important of the three and
was  eventually  renamed  simply 
‘the  European
Community’ (EC).

European  Neighbourhood  Policy  (ENP) –  The
European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was developed
in the context of the EU’s 2004 enlargement, with the
objective  of  avoiding  the  emergence  of  new  dividing
lines between the enlarged EU and our neighbours and
instead strengthening stability, security and well-being
for all concerned.
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm

European  Parliament,  The  (EP) –  The  European
Parliament  (EP)  represents  the  EU’s  citizens  and  has
been directly elected by them since 1979. Its origins go
back to the 1950s and the founding treaties. Members
of the European Parliament (MEPs) do not sit in national
blocks, but in Europe-wide political groups. In January

European Union, The (EU) – The European Union was
established under that name in 1992 by the Treaty on
European  Union  (the  Maastricht Treaty).  However,  its
historical  roots  lie  in  the  Second World War. The  idea
was born because Europeans were determined to pre-
vent  such  killing  and  destruction  ever  happening
again. In the early years, the cooperation was between
six countries and mainly about trade and the economy.
Now  the  EU  embraces  27  democratic  Member  States
from the Europe, and a total of over 490 million peo-
ple.  It  deals  with  a  wide  range  of  issues  of  direct
import ance for our everyday life, from health and eco-
nomic policy to foreign affairs and defence.
http://europa.eu/abc/panorama/index_en.htm

EUSEC RD Congo – This is an EU advisory and assist -
ance  mission  for  security  reform  in  the  Democratic
Republic of Congo, launched in June 2005.
www.consilum.europa.eu/eusec-drcongo

i

IECI (see International Electoral Commission for Iraq)

IGAD (see 
Development Secretariat for Peace in Sudan)

Inter-Governmental  Authority  on

IMF (see International Monetary Fund)

Integrated Police Unit (IPU) BiH – The IPU, with an
authorised  troop  strength  of  534,  is  a  component  of
the EU's force in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the frame-
work of operation EUFOR ALTHEA.
www.euforbih.org/sheets/fs050225a.htm

Integrated Police Unit (IPU) DRC – The IPU (Unité de
Police  intégrée)  is  a  1,000  strong  inter-mixed  unit  of
the National Congolese Police (PNC). It is responsible

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for the protection of the institutions and actors of the
transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has
benefited from a programme of training and supply of
equipment led by the EU and is supported by the EUPOL
Kinshasa mission. 
www.consilium.europa.eu/eupol-kinshasa

Intergovernmental  Authority  on  Development
Secretariat  for  Peace  in  Sudan  (IGAD) – This  is  a
regional  grouping  of  seven  East  African  countries:
Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and
Uganda. It was created in 1986 by the Heads of State
and  Government  of  member  states  as 
the
Intergovernmental  Authority  on  Drought  and
Development  (IGADD)  following  the  recurrent  and
severe  droughts  and  other  natural  disasters  that
caused widespread famine, ecological degradation and
economic  hardship  in  the  region  between  1974  and
1984.  IGAD  has  its  headquarters  in  Djibouti,  the
Republic of Djibouti.
www.igad.org/about/index.htm

International Electoral Commission for Iraq (IECI)
The IECI was set up to manage and supervise elections
in  Iraq.  It  was  responsible  for  the  preparation  and
organisation  of  elections  and  was  authorised  to  take
all  necessary  measures  in  order  to  guarantee  the
integrity and freedom of the elections. The Commission
was  formed 
line  with  UN  Security  Council
Resolutions 1483 and 1511, which stressed the rights
of  the  Iraqi  people  to  choose,  in  full  freedom,  their 
political future.
www.ieciraq.org/English/Frameset_english.htm

in 

International Monetary Fund (IMF) – The IMF is an
organisation of 184 countries, working to foster global
monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facili-
tate  international  trade,  promote  high  employment
and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty.
www.imf.org

International  Security  Assistance  Force  (ISAF) –
The  ISAF  is  a  UN-mandated  operation  that  functions
under  the  auspices  of  NATO  with  Allied  Joint  Force
Command  Brunssum  in  charge  of  the  overall  opera-
tions.  Its  primary  role  is  to  support  and  assist  the 
Government of Afghanistan in providing and maintaining
a secure environment in order to facilitate the rebuild-
ing  of  Afghanistan,  the  establishment  of  democratic
structures  and  deepen  the  influence  of  the  central 
government.
www.afnorth.nato.int/ISAF/

IPU (see Integrated Police Unit)

ISAF (see International Security Assistance Force)

K

Kimberley Process – The Kimberley Process is a joint
government,  international  diamond  industry  and  civil
society initiative. Its primary aim is to stem the flow of
conflict diamonds – rough diamonds that are used by
rebel  movements  to  finance  wars  against  legitimate
governments. The trade in these illicit stones has con-
tributed  to  devastating  conflicts  in  countries  such  as
Angola,  Côte  d'Ivoire,  the  Democratic  Republic  of
Congo  and  Sierra  Leone.  The  Kimberley  Process
Certification Scheme is an innovative, voluntary system
that imposes extensive requirements on participants to
certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from
conflict diamonds. The Kimberley Process has 45 par-
ticipants, including the European Community.
www.kimberleyprocess.com

L

Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOFTA)
The  purpose  of  the  UNDP-administered  LOTFA  initia-
tive 
in
is  to  finance  priority  police  activities 
Afghanistan.  Under  these  arrangements,  the  Ministry
of the Interior is responsible for supporting the forma-
tion of a new police force, and UNDP is entrusted with
the fund management of LOTFA to address the priority
activities of paying police salaries, procuring non-lethal
equipment,  rehabilitating  police  facilities,  training  for
police and institutional development.
www.undp.org

M

MDRP 
Reintegration Program)

(see  Multicountry  Demobilisation  and

MDTF (see Multidonor Trust Funds)

Middle East Roadmap – The achievement of lasting
peace in the Middle East is a central aim of the EU. The
main objective of the road map is to find a two-state
solution  leading  to  a  final  and  comprehensive  settle-
ment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, The
UN (MONUC) – The UN Mission was created in 1999
following  the  Lusaka  Ceasefire  Agreements  for  the
Democratic  Republic  of  Congo.  Currently  the  largest
UN mission with 16,500 personnel, MONUC is placed
under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The EU intervened
twice  in  support  of  MONUC,  through  operations
Artemis in 2003 and EUFOR RD Congo in 2006.
www.monuc.org
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/mepp/
index.htm

MONUC  (see  Mission  to  the  Democratic  Republic  of
Congo)

Multicountry  Demobilization  and  Reintegration
Program (MDRP) – This is a multi-agency effort that
supports  the  demobilisation  and  reintegration  of  ex-
combatants in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa.
The largest programme of its kind in the world, MDRP
currently targets an estimated 450,000 ex-combatants
in seven countries: Angola, Burundi, the Central African
Republic,  the  Democratic  Republic  of  Congo,  the
Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
http://mdrp.org/about_us.htm

Multidonor Trust Funds (MDTFs) – Such funds have
been  established  in  a  number  of  post-conflict  situ -
ations  to  mobilise  resources  and  coordinate  recon-
struction efforts. For example, the Multi-Donor Fund for
Aceh  and  Nias  is  a  partnership  of  the  international
community, the Indonesian Government and civil soci-
ety to support the recovery following the earthquakes
and tsunami. It contributes to the recovery process by
providing grants for quality investments that are based
on good practice, stakeholder participation and coordi-
nation with others. In doing so, the Multi-Donor Fund
seeks to reduce poverty, rebuild capacity, support good
governance and enhance sustainable development.
www.mdtfans.org

N

NATO (see North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) – This is
an  alliance  of  26  countries  from  North  America  and
Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North
Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. 
http://www.nato.int

O

OAS (see Organization of American States)

OSCE (see Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe)

Organisation  of  American  States  (OAS) –  Brings
together  the  countries  of  the Western  Hemisphere  to
strengthen  cooperation  and  advance  common  inter-
ests.  It  is  the  region’s  premier  forum  for  multilateral
dialogue and concerted action.
www.oas.org/main/english/

Organisation  for  Security  and  Cooperation  in
Europe  (OSCE) –  With  55  participating  states  from
Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America
it  is  the  largest  regional  security  organisation  in  the
world. It conducts a wide range of activities related to
all three dimensions of security – the human, the politico-
military and the economic-environmental.
www.osce.org

P

PMDI  (see  Palestinian  Media  and  Development
Institute)

Palestinian  Media  and  Development  Institute
(PMDI) – This was established in 1994 as an NGO ded-
icated to  the  development  and  advancement  of  the
Palestinian  private  sector.  The  PMDI’s  mission  is  to
build the professional capabilities of the private sector
through  training  and  development  and  to  promote
business  relationships  among  local  and  international
stakeholders.
http://www.pmdip.org/main.html

Partnership and Cooperation Agreement – Various
agreements with Europe and other countries to ensure
their  development.  (See  the  EU-Moldova  Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement.)

Peace  Laboratory,  Colombia  – This  innovative  pro-
gramme aims to encourage the broad participation of
citizens in the search for peace. It focuses on reinfor -
cing  local  institutions,  supporting  civilian  actors
engaged  in  promoting  peace  and  fostering  economic
and  social  development.  The  programme  represents
the  first  important  step  of  the  European  Community
within the framework of the EU Support Programme to
the Peace Process in Colombia. The peace laboratory is
the EU’s biggest project in Colombia and is promoting

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rural development in one of the worst-hit areas of the
conflict,  the  Magdalena  Medio  Region.  Local  people,
who are resisting the violence and want to create a life
outside  the  drug  economy,  design  and  manage  it.
Launched  in  2002,  it  became  fully  operational  a  year
later,  with  activities  on  the  ground  in  13  of  the 
29 municipalities of the region.
http://ec.europa.eu/world/peace/geographical_themes/
colombia/peace_laboratory/index_en.htm

Peace and Security Council, The – This is the body
responsible for implementing and enforcing decisions
taken by the African Union. It is designed in the same
way  as  the  United  Nations  Security  Council.  The 
15 Member States are elected by the Assembly of the
African Union. 

Q

Quartet,  The – The  so-called  Quartet  comprises  the
US, EU, Russia and the UN. They work together to try to
find  solutions  to  the  ongoing  conflict  between  the
Israelis and Palestinians.

R

RRM (Rapid  Reaction  Mechanism) –  The  Rapid
Reaction  Mechanism  is  designed  to  allow  the
Community to respond urgently to the needs of countries
threatened with or undergoing severe political instability
or suffering from the effects of a technological or natural
disaster.  Its  purpose  is  to  support  measures aimed  at
safeguarding  or  re-establishing  the  conditions  under
which the partner countries of the EC can pursue their
long term development goals.

S

Security  Sector  Reform  (SSR) –  This  is  a  reform
process  applied  in  countries  whose  development  is
hampered  by  structural  weaknesses  in  their  security
and justice sectors and often exacerbated by a lack of
democratic  oversight.  SSR  encompasses  a  broad  var -
iety  of  assistance  programmes,  such  as:  the  develop-
ment of norms of ‘good practice’ in the security sector;
the  control,  collection  and  destruction  of  small  arms;
enhancing civilian control over the military; and com-
munity-based policing and justice reform.
www.isis-europe.org

T

Taliban, The – The Taliban is a Sunni strictly puritan -
ical, Islamist movement that ruled most of Afghanistan
from  1996  until  2001,  and  is  currently  engaged  in  a
protracted  guerilla  war  against  NATO  forces  within
Afghanistan.

U

UN Development Programme, The (UNDP) – This is
the UN's global development network, an organisation
advocating  for  change  and  connecting  countries  to
knowledge,  experience  and  resources  to  help  people
build a better life. It is ‘on the ground’ in 166 countries,
working  with  them  on  their  own  solutions  to  global
and national development challenges. As they develop
local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and
its wide range of partners.
www.undp.org/about/

UNDP (see UN Development Programme)

UNICEF (see United Nations Children’s Fund)

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – This UN
organisation  advocates  the  protection  of  children’s
rights,  to  help  meet  their  basic  needs  and  help  them
reach their full potential; ensures the protection of the
most  disadvantaged  children,  for  example,  victims  of
war,  disasters,  extreme  poverty,  all  forms  of  violence
and exploitation and those with disabilities; and aims,
through its country programmes, to promote the equal
rights of women and girls and to support their full par-
ticipation  in  the  political,  social  and  economic  devel-
opment of their communities. 
www.unicef.org

United Nations Peace Building Commission – The
Peace Building Commission advises and proposes inte-
grated  strategies  for  post-conflict  recovery,  focusing
attention  on  reconstruction,  institution-building  and
sustainable  development,  in  countries  emerging  from
conflict.  The  Commission  brings  together  the  UN's
broad capacities and experience in conflict prevention,
mediation,  peace  keeping,  respect  for  human  rights,
the  rule  of  law,  humanitarian  assistance,  reconstruc-
tion, and long-term development. 
www.un.org/peace/peacebuilding/

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World  Bank  Trust  Funds –  The  World  Bank  Group
maintains multi-donor trust funds to support develop-
ment  priorities. The  eligibility  criteria  and  procedures
for accessing these funds vary greatly. 
www.worldbank.org

World Trade Organisation (WTO) – This organisation is
the  only  global  international  organisation  dealing  with
the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the
WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of
the  world’s  trading  nations  and  ratified  in  their  parlia-
ments.  The  goal  is  to  help  producers  of  goods  and 
services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
www.wto.org

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United  Nations  Relief  and  Works  Agency  for
Palestine  Refugees  in  the  Near  East  (UNRWA)  –
This  is  a  subsidiary  organ  of  the  UN.  The  Advisory
Commission  meets  annually  to  review  agency  activi-
ties.  Its  membership  consists  of  Australia,  Belgium,
Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Jordan,  Lebanon,  the  Netherlands,  Norway,  Saudi
Arabia,  Spain,  Sweden,  Switzerland,  the  Syrian  Arab
Republic,  Turkey,  the  United  Kingdom  (UK)  and  the
United States (US). The EC, the League of Arab States
and  the  Palestine  Liberation  Organization  attend  as
observers.
www.un.org/unrwa/organization/index.html

United  Nations  Security  Council  –  Its  primary
responsibility  is  to  maintain  international  peace  and
security. It functions continuously, and a representative
of each of its members must be present at all times at
United  Nations  Headquarters.  It  consists  of  15  mem-
bers of the UN. China, France, Russia, the UK and the
US  are  permanent  members. Ten  other  UN  members
are  elected  by  the  General  Assembly  for  two-year
terms as non-permanent members.
http://www.un.org

UNRWA (see United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East)

W

and 

(IBRD) 

for  Reconstruction 
the 

World  Bank  –  The  World  Bank  is  a  vital  source  of
financial and technical assistance to developing coun-
tries around the world. It is made up of two develop-
ment institutions owned by 184 member countries, the
International  Bank 
and
Development 
International
Development Association (IDA). Each institution plays
a  different,  but  supportive,  role  in  reducing  global
poverty  and  improving  living  standards.  The  IBRD
focuses on middle income and creditworthy poor coun-
tries, while the IDA focuses on the poorest countries in
the  world.  Together  they  provide  low-interest  loans,
interest-free credit and grants to developing countries
for  education,  health,  infrastructure,  communications
and many other purposes.
www.worldbank.org

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EUPOL PROXIMA
(former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
2004-2005 (completed)

EUPM 
(Bosnia and Herzegovina)
210 international
208 national

EUFOR ALTHEA
(Bosnia and Herzegovina)
6,500 personnel
(2,500 after transition)

AMIS II Assistance
(Sudan/Darfur)
60 international

EUSEC DR Congo
9 international
+ EUSEC-FIN 
28 personnel

EUPOL Kinshasa
(DR Congo)
27 international / 8 national
+ temporary reinforcement 38 staff

ARTEMIS
(DR Congo)
1,800 personnel
June-September 2003 (completed)

EUFOR Congo
(DR Congo)
July -November 2006
2,300 personnel
(completed)

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58

EUROPE IN THE WORLD  I  WORKING FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND STABILITY  I  Map

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ESDP_EN_070626  26/06/07  11:53  Page 59

EUPAT
(fYROM)
(completed)

CONCORDIA 
(fYROM) 
400 personnel
March-December 2003 (completed)

EUPT for future ESDP 
police/justice mission in Kosovo
envisaged mission of around 
1,800 international personnel 
(24 international, planning team)

EUJUST THEMIS
(Georgia)
2004-2005 (completed)

EUJUST-LEX
(Iraq/Brussels) 
20 international

AMM Monitoring Mission
(Aceh/Indonesia)
90 international
84 national (completed)

EUBAM Rafah   
(Palestinian Territories)
60 international  
5 national

EUPOL COPPS
(Palestinian Territories)
14 international
3 national

EUPOL Afghanistan
160 international personnel 
launch June 2007

Map I EUROPE IN THE WORLD  I  WORKING FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND STABILITY

59

ESDP_EN_070626  26/06/07  11:53  Page 60

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Kosovo
Preparations for a future status settlement

Iraq
Post-conflict recovery

Senegal/Mauritania
Addressing illegal migration

Liberia
Support to ECOWAS peacekeeping force
Police training 

Colombia
Implementing peace and justice law

Bolivia
Cconsensus building 
and constitutional reform

Democratic Republic of Congo
Police Reform

Africa Peace Facility
Darfur, Central African Republic, 
Comoros, Burundi

60

EUROPE IN THE WORLD  I  WORKING FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND STABILITY  I  Map

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Moldova
Border Assistance Mission

Lebanon 
Evacuation, reconstruction 
planning, security system reform

Gaza
Supporting Quartet Special Envoy 
on Gaza disengagement

Kyrgyzstan
Parliamentary strengthening

Aceh/Indonesia
Conflict resolution 
and stabilisation
Peace negotiation, 
demobilisation and 
reintegration of combatants, 
civil society strengthening

East Timor
Post-conflict stabilisation

Sri Lanka
Maldives
Aceh
Post-tsunami recovery

Support to the Darfur 
Peace mediation

Map I EUROPE IN THE WORLD  I  WORKING FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND STABILITY

61

ESDP_EN_070626  26/06/07  11:53  Page 62

ESDP_EN_070626  26/06/07  11:53  Page 63

Council of the European Union
European Commission

Europe in the World
Working for Peace, Security and Stability

2007 – 61 pp. – 21 x 29.7 cm

ISBN: 978-92-79-05600-0

ESDP_EN_070626  26/06/07  11:53  Page 64