Civilian crisis management
The Union has decided to develop the civilian aspects of crisis management in four priority areas defined by the Feira European Council in June 2000: police, strengthening of the rule of law, strengthening civilian administration and civil protection.
The specific capabilities in these four fields could be used in the context of EU-led autonomous missions, or in the context of operations conducted by leadagencies, such as the UN or the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe).
Police
The European Union aims to be capable of carrying out any police operation, from advisory, assistance and training tasks to substituting to local police forces. Member States have undertaken to provide up to 5000 police officers by 2003, of whom up to 1 400 can be deployed in under 30 days.
Strengthening the rule of law
Efforts deployed on an international scale to reinforce and if necessary restore credible local police forces can only be successful if a properly functioning judicial and penitentiary system backs up the police forces. Member States have undertaken to provide nearly 300 officers in charge of crisis management operations in that area(prosecutors, judges, prison officers).
Civil administration
As regards civil administration, a pool of experts has been created, capable of accepting civil administration missions in the context of crisis-management operations, and if necessary, being deployed at very short notice.
Civil protection
In this area too, the objective has been achieved, and consists of:
- 2 or 3 assessment and/or coordination teams, capable of being mobilised around the clock, and consisting of 10 experts, who could be dispatched within 3 to 7 hours;
- intervention teams of up to 2000 persons for deployment at short notice;
- additional or more specialised means which could be dispatched within 2 to 7 days depending on the particular needs of each crisis.
The Ministerial Civilian Crisis Management Capability Conference held on 19 November 2002 confirmed that the concrete targets in the four priority areas had been reached and even exceeded through Member States' voluntary commitments.