This article is about the European Union's (EU) own defence arm. For the EU's relationship with NATO, which TEU Article 42(2) describes as the "main forum for the implementation of collective self-defence", see European Union–NATO relations.
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Common Security and Defence Policy" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article may overuse or misuse color, making it hard to understand for color-blind users. Please remove or fix instances of distracting or hard-to-read colors or remove colored links that may impede user ability to distinguish links from regular text, or color links for purely aesthetic reasons. See the guides to editing for accessibility at contrast and colors.(March 2024)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
"CSDP" redirects here. For other uses, see CSDP (disambiguation).
Common Security and Defence Policy (European Defence Union)
Arms of the Military Staff (EUMS), which includes the EU's permanent operational headquarters, MPCC
Founded
1999 (as the European Security and Defence Policy)
Current form
2009 (Treaty of Lisbon)
Headquarters
Military (MPCC) and Civilian (CPCC) Planning and Conduct Capabilities, Kortenberg building, Brussels, Belgium
Website
eeas.europa.eu
Leadership
High Representative
Josep Borrell
Director General of the Military Staff
LTG Esa Pulkkinen
Chairman of the Military Committee
GEN Robert Brieger
Personnel
Active personnel
1,410,626 (2016)[1]
Reserve personnel
2,330,803
Expenditures
Budget
€223.4 billion ($249.3 billion) (2018)[2]
Percent of GDP
1.5% (2020)[3]
Related articles
History
History of the Common Security and Defence Policy
The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is the European Union's (EU) course of action in the fields of defence and crisis management, and a main component of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
The CSDP involves the deployment of military or civilian missions to preserve peace, prevent conflict and strengthen international security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Military missions are carried out by EU forces established with secondments from the member states' armed forces. The CSDP also entails collective self-defence amongst member states[a] as well as a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in which 26 of the 27 national armed forces pursue structural integration. The CSDP structure – headed by the Union's High Representative (HR/VP), Josep Borrell, and sometimes referred to as the European Defence Union (EDU) in relation to its prospective development as the EU's defence arm[4][5][6][b] – comprises:
the European Commission's Defence Industry Directorate-General
the External Action Service's (EEAS) Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD) and permanent Operation Headquarters (OHQs) for command and control (C2) at the military/civilian strategic level, i.e. the MPCC and CPCC.
a number of Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) preparatory bodies – such as the Military Committee (EUMC)
four agencies, including the Defence Agency (EDA)
The EU command and control structures are much smaller than the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Command Structure (NCS), which has been established for territorial defence. It has been agreed that NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO) may be used for the conduct of the EU's missions. The MPCC, established in 2017 and to be strengthened in 2020, is the EU's first permanent military OHQ. In parallel, the newly established European Defence Fund (EDF) marks the first time the EU budget is used to finance multinational defence projects.
Decisions relating to the CSDP are proposed by the High Representative, adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council, generally requiring unanimity, to be then implemented by the High Representative.
This article is part of a series on
Politics of the European Union
Member states (27)
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Candidate countries
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia
Moldova
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Serbia
Ukraine
Accession negotiations suspended countries
Turkey
Applicant countries
Kosovo
Special territories
Belgium–Germany relations
France–Germany relations
Germany–Netherlands relations
EU 3
Withdrawal from the European Union
Treaties and Declarations
Schuman Declaration (1950)
Treaty of Paris (1951)
Europe Declaration (1951)
Spaak Report (1956)
Treaty of Rome (1957)
Euratom Treaty (1957)
Merger Treaty (1965)
Solemn Declaration (1983)
Single European Act (1986)
Maastricht Treaty (1992)
Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
Treaty of Nice (2001)
Berlin Declaration (2007)
Treaty of Lisbon (2007)
Article 7
Article 50
Opt-outs
Treaties of accession
1972, 1979, 1985, 1994, 2003, 2005, 2011
Treaties of succession
1984, 2020
Other treaties
Schengen Agreement (1985)
European Economic Area Agreement (1992)
Abandoned treaties and agreements
European Constitution (2004)
UK membership renegotiation (2015–2016)
Executive institutions
European Council
President: Michel (ALDE)
Parties
List of meetings
European Commission
Von der Leyen Commission
President: Von der Leyen (EPP)
Vice Presidents
College of Commissioners
Civil Service
Secretary-General: Juhansone
Legislative institutions
Legislative procedure
Council of the EU
Presidency
Belgium
(January–June 2024)
Configurations
GAC
FAC
ECOFIN
Eurogroup
AGRIFISH
EPSCO
COMPET
TTE
ENVI
JHA
EYC
Voting
Secretariat
Secretary-General: Thérèse Blanchet
Directorates-general
COREPER
European Parliament (Members)
President: Metsola
Largest groups
EPP (Manfred Weber)
S&D (Iratxe García)
Member of the European Parliament
9th session (2019–2024)
Bureau
Vice Presidents
Quaestor
Conference
National parliaments
Judicial institutions
Court of Justice of the EU
European Court of Justice
Members
Advocates General
Rulings
General Court
Auditory institutions
European Court of Auditors
European Court of Auditors
Other auditory bodies
Internal Audit Service of the Commission
Committee on Budgetary Control of the Parliament
Economic and Financial Affairs configuration of the Council
Anti-Fraud Office
Public Prosecutor's Office
European Central Bank
President Lagarde
ESCB
EMU
Euro banknotes
Euro coins
Other bodies
European Investment Bank Group
Investment Bank
Investment Fund
EIB Institute
European Stability Mechanism
European Stability Mechanism
European University Institute
European University Institute
Unified Patent Court
Unified Patent Court
Agencies, decentralised independent bodies and joint undertakings
Decentralised agencies of the EU
Single market agencies
CFSP agencies
AFSC agencies
ESFS European Supervisory Authorities
SRM bodies
Executive agencies of the EU
Euratom agencies
Decentralised independent bodies of the EU
European Institute of Innovation and Technology
European Public Prosecutor's Office
Corporate bodies of the EU
European Data Protection Board
Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations
Joint undertakings
of the EU
of the Euratom
Other independent bodies
European Data Protection Supervisor
European Ombudsman
Advisory bodies
European Committee of the Regions
European Economic and Social Committee
Political and Security Committee
European Union Military Committee
EU/ESA Space Council
Inter-institutional bodies
Publications Office of the European Union
European External Action Service
European Personnel Selection Office
Anti-Fraud Office
European Administrative School
Euratom
Euratom members
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Associated states
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Nuclear power in the European Union
Economic and Monetary Union
Eurozone members
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Cyprus
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Eurogroup
President
Paschal Donohoe
Other currencies in use
Bulgarian lev
Czech koruna
Danish krone
Hungarian forint
Polish złoty
Romanian leu
Swedish krona
ERM II
Enlargement of the eurozone
Non Euro countries relationship to Euro
Bulgaria
Czechia
Denmark
Hungary
Poland
Sweden
Romania
Schengen Area
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Non-EU members
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Norway
Switzerland
Prüm Convention
Schengen Information System
Visa Information System
Visa policy of the Schengen Area
Non-Schengen area EU member states
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Ireland (Opt-out)
Romania
European Economic Area
EEA members
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia (provisional member)
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Non-EU members
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Norway
Topics
EEA Joint Committee
EEA National Identity cards
Microstates and the European Union
Elections
1979, 1984, 1989, 1994 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014
2019 (last election)
European political parties
Constituencies
Elections in EU member states
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Referendums relating to the EU
Law
Acquis
Primacy (ECJ Case 6/64)
Subsidiarity
Regulation
Directive
Decision
Recommendation
Fundamental Rights
Policies and issues
Budget
Customs Union
Free Trade Agreements
European Single Market
Area of FS&J
Policies
Agricultural
Energy
Fisheries
Regional
Citizenship
Passports of the European Union
Identity
Pro-Europeanism
Euroscepticism
European banking union
European Banking Supervision
Single Resolution Mechanism
Capital Markets Union
European System of Financial Supervision
Integration
Supranationalism
European Federation
Multi-speed Europe
Enhanced co-op
Foreign relations
High Representative
Josep Borrell
Ext. Action Service
Foreign Policy
Defence Policy
Foreign relations of EU member states
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Argentina–European Union relations
Armenia–European Union relations
Australia–European Union relations
Brazil–European Union relations
Canada–European Union relations
China–European Union relations
European Union–NATO relations
Georgia–European Union relations
Iceland–European Union relations
Kazakhstan–European Union relations
Japan–European Union relations
Mexico–European Union relations
Moldova–European Union relations
Norway–European Union relations
Russia–European Union relations
Switzerland–European Union relations
Turkey–European Union relations
Ukraine–European Union relations
United Kingdom–European Union relations (History)
Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union
Brexit
United States–European Union relations
Common Travel Area (Ireland)
Microstates and the European Union
European Union and the United Nations
European Union Association Agreement
G7
G20
Defunct bodies
European Communities (1958–1993)
European Coal and Steel Community
European Economic Community
European Community
Western European Union
Convention on the Future of Europe
European Union portal
Other countries
v
t
e
^Defence Data Portal, Official 2005–2017 defence statistics from the European Defence Agency
^Cite error: The named reference eda.europa2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Defence Data 2019-2020: Key findings and analysis" (PDF). European Defence Agency. p.3
^"Texts adopted - Tuesday, 22 November 2016 - European Defence Union – P8_TA(2016)0435". www.europarl.europa.eu.
^"European Commission welcomes first operational steps towards a European Defence Union" (Press release). European Commission.
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
and 28 Related for: Common Security and Defence Policy information
The CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy Service Medal (named the European SecurityandDefencePolicy Service Medal prior to 2009) is an international military...
history of the CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP) of the European Union (EU), a part of the Common Foreign andSecurityPolicy (CFSP). The post-war...
The Common Foreign andSecurityPolicy (CFSP) is the organised, agreed foreign policy of the European Union (EU) for mainly securityanddefence diplomacy...
structure of the European Union's CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP), a part of the Common Foreign andSecurityPolicy (CFSP) based on articles 42–46...
EU's CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy". The parties agree to deploy together in theatres agreed under the auspices of EU CommonDefenceandSecurity Policy...
central parts of the EU's new military component, the European CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP). This process was completed in 2009 when a solidarity...
This article outlines the defence forces of the European Union (EU), which implement the EU's CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP) in CSDP missions...
Cooperation (PESCO) is the part of the European Union's (EU) securityanddefencepolicy (CSDP) in which 26 of the 27 national armed forces pursue structural...
EU's Common SecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP). The EDA is headed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs andSecurityPolicy, European Commission’s...
contributes to the EU's CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP) by providing strategic advice to the High Representative (HR/VP) and commanding operations...
(under the former I Pillar) CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy agencies (under the former II Pillar) Area of freedom, securityand justice agencies (under...
European Union's (EU) European SecurityandDefencePolicy (ESDP), presently known as the CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP). The member states agreed...
presently not established at the EU level (referred to as the CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy, CSDP); it is for instance not a project of the Permanent...
Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) is a Paris-based agency of the European Union (EU) within the realm of Common Foreign andSecurityPolicy (CFSP). The...
An essential tool of the EU's Common Foreign andSecurityPolicy (CFSP) are restrictive measures, also known as "sanctions." They are utilized by the EU...
civilian-military planning within the sphere of the CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP). The EU command and control (C2) structure is directed by political...
may refer to: European SecurityandDefencePolicy the former name of the European Union's CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy The European Spatial Development...
Common Foreign andSecurityPolicy (CFSP), including the CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP). The EEAS does not propose or implement policy in its own...
external action, including Common Foreign andSecurityPolicy (CFSP), CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP), foreign trade and development cooperation...
body of the European Union's (EU) CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy that is composed of member states' Chiefs of Defence (CHOD). These national CHODs are...
European Union European Union rapid reaction mechanism Common SecurityandDefencePolicy European Union Military Operation in the Former Yugoslav Republic...
supersede the CommonSecurityandDefencePolicyand would go beyond the proposed European Defence Union. Currently, there is no such army, anddefence is a matter...
Brussels, Belgium. It houses mostly bodies related to the CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy (CSDP). The building was constructed in 1977 for an insurance...