European Peace Facility
The European Peace Facility (EPF) is an instrument aimed at enhancing the EU's ability to prevent conflicts, build and preserve peace and strengthen international security and stability.
Establishing the European Peace Facility
On 22 March 2021, the Council adopted a decision establishing the European Peace Facility.
What is the European Peace Facility?
The European Peace Facility is an instrument aimed at enhancing the EU's ability to:
- prevent conflicts
- build and preserve peace
- strengthen international security and stability
In an era of complex security threats, the European Peace Facility expands the EU’s ability to provide security for its citizens and its partners. It maximises the impact, effectiveness and sustainability of overall EU external action in peace and security.
The EPF replaced and enlarged the former financial instruments in this area, namely the Athena Mechanism and the African Peace Facility.
How does the European Peace Facility work?
The European Peace Facility operates through missions and operations, as well as through assistance measures benefiting partner countries and regional and international organisations. These measures may include the supply of:
- military and defence-related equipment
- infrastructure
- technical support
The EPF operates in compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
What is the budget of the European Peace Facility?
The European Peace Facility is a fund worth over €17 billion financed outside the EU budget for a period of seven years (2021-2027), with a single mechanism to finance all actions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) in military and defence areas.
When created in March 2021, the EPF had an initial financial ceiling of €5.69 billion in current prices.
The Council increased the financial ceiling in March 2023 (by €2.29 billion), in June 2023 (by €4.06 billion) and in March 2024 (by €5 billion). The top-up of March 2024 is a dedicated Ukraine Assistance Fund within the European Peace Facility.
Contributions by member states are determined based on a gross national income (GNI) distribution key.
- March 2021 (initial budget): €5.7 billion
- March 2023 (1st top-up): €2.3 billion
- June 2023 (2nd top-up): €4.1 billion
- March 2024 (3rd top-up): €5 billion
EU support to Ukraine
Between 2022 and 2024, the EU mobilised €6.1 billion under the European Peace Facility to address Ukraine's pressing military and defence needs.
In addition, in March 2024, the EU decided to increase the financial ceiling of the European Peace Facility by €5 billion, by establishing a dedicated Ukraine Assistance Fund. This brings the total financial support allocated via the European Peace Facility to €11.1 billion.
Norway has supported the EU measures with a contribution of NOK 250 million (approximately €22 million).
The agreed assistance measures under the European Peace Facility finance the provision of lethal and non-lethal military equipment and supplies, such as personal protective equipment, first aid kits, fuel, ammunition and missiles.
In 2022, the EU launched the Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). The mission aims to strengthen the capabilities and resilience of the Ukrainian armed forces and to protect the civilian population from the ongoing Russian military aggression.
Pillars
The European Peace Facility comprises two financing pillars in a single instrument, thereby simplifying decision-making procedures, bringing greater unity and coherence to EU actions in this context: the operations pillar and the assistance measures pillar.
Operations pillar
The operations pillar finances the common costs of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations - having military or defence implications - in accordance with articles 42(4) and 43(2) of the Treaty on the European Union.
Assistance measures pillar
The assistance measures pillar finances assistance measures for non-EU countries and regional or international organisations, in accordance with articles 28 and 30 of the Treaty on European Union. Actions financed under this pillar aim to:
- strengthen military and defence capacities
- support military aspects of peace support operations
Governance
The European Peace Facility operates under the authority and direction of a Facility Committee , composed of representatives of each EU member state, chaired by a representative of the presidency of the Council.
The Committee met for the first time on 21 April 2021 and is responsible, inter alia, for adopting the European Peace Facility annual budget, and the implementing rules governing expenditure under the EPF.
The European Peace Facility is managed by:
- an administrator for operations
- the operations commander of each operation and mission
- an administrator for assistance measures
- the accounting officers for both pillars
On 20 October 2021, the Facility Committee agreed on its rules of procedure.
Operations
All EU member states contribute in principle to financing military operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy. There are 8 active EU military missions and operations and one civilian-military mission that currently benefit from EPF financing.
Active EU military operations funded by the European Peace Facility
- Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM MOZAMBIQUE)
- Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM UKRAINE)
- Military Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR ALTHEA)
- Military Operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI)
- Military Operation to Contribute to Maritime Security in the West Indian Ocean and in the Red Sea (EUNAVFOR ATALANTA)
- Maritime Security Operation to Safeguard Freedom of Navigation in relation to the Red Sea Crisis (EUNAVFOR ASPIDES)
- Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM SOMALIA)
- Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA)
- Security and defence initiative in the Gulf of Guinea (EU SDI GoG)
Scope of operations under the European Peace Facility
A large percentage of the costs associated with military operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy should be borne by EU member states (and third countries) participating in an operation, in accordance with the principle that 'costs lie where they fall'.
Several costs are financed in common by EU countries through the operations pillar. The complete list of common costs is included in Annexes II to V of the Council decision on the establishment of the European Peace Facility.
As an example, the following costs are always financed in common:
- implementation and running costs of headquarters, including travel, IT systems, administration, public information, locally hired staff, force headquarters, deployment and lodging
- support to the force as a whole, infrastructure, medical services, medical evacuation, identification marking and satellite images
- reimbursements to/from NATO or other organisations such as the UN
- costs specific to the deployment or redeployment of an EU battlegroup
If the Council so decides, the European Peace Facility can also finance costs relating to the transport and lodging of forces, and multinational headquarters below force headquarters level.
The Council may also determine, in decisions establishing or extending operations, that certain incremental costs (in addition to those qualifying as common costs at that time) are to be regarded as common costs for a given operation.
When requested by the operations commander and approved by the Facility Committee, the EPF may also finance the following:
- barracks and lodging/infrastructure, essential additional equipment, medical services, acquisition of information (theatre level intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance, including air-to-ground surveillance and reconnaissance and human intelligence)
- other critical theatre-level capabilities (demining, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protection, storage and destruction of weapons)
Operations under the European Peace Facility can also pre-finance and manage certain expenditure in relation to an operation (‘nation-borne costs’), while remaining the responsibility of the member state which it concerns. National borne costs can include lodging, fuel, and similar costs linked to national contingents. They are later reimbursed by the benefiting member states.
Monitoring and compliance
The European Peace Facility ensures an adequate risk assessment and mitigating measures in compliance with international human rights law, international humanitarian law and EU arms export laws.
It also monitors the respect of international law and commitments by the beneficiary and allows civil society to report on violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Assistance under the EPF can be suspended or terminated any time by the Council in case of infringement and/or abuse.
Implementing rules
Further to the establishment of the European Peace Facility, the Facility Committee adopted on 30 June 2021 the rules for implementation of expenditure financed under the EPF. The rules were partly amended on 20 July 2022 and on 30 November 2022.
Data protection rules
On 19 June 2024, the Facility Committee adopted the implementing rules regarding processing of personal data by the European Peace Facility.
Access to documents held by the European Peace Facility
When requesting access to documents held by the European Peace Facility, requesters should take into account that there are two pillars (operations and assistance measures), as described above.
The European Commission acts as the administrator for assistance measures through the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments.
Rules for public access to documents in line with the decision by the Facility Committee of 13 July 2022:
For documents concerning the operations pillar of the European Peace Facility, search the Council's register:
If the document can't be found, submit a request via the following link:
For documents concerning the assistance measures pillar search the European Commission's register:
If the document can't be found, submit a request for information via this webpage:
Contact the European Peace Facility
See also
Civilian and military missions and operations
Security and defence partnerships
European defence readiness
Last review: 4 December 2024