This article provides a brief overview of the legal aspects of EU military crisis management operations, which, together with the EU’s civilian missions, are the main manifestation of the EU’s Security and Defence Policy. After the introduction (I), section II addresses the EU law aspects, section III covers the main international law aspects and section IV deals with domestic law aspects, including both the law of sending States and of the host State. Section V draws some conclusions and offers some reflections on the legal aspects of EU military operations and their role and importance. The author concludes that the EU has a well established legal framework for its military operations, which is soundly anchored in the EU Treaty, elaborated in practice and firmly based in and in compliance with international law. He also submits that the Lisbon Treaty reinforces this legal framework on several points and that the EU can rely on a number of mechanisms that should enable it to address most legal challenges that may arise.
This chapter analyses the main legal aspects of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) operations launched since 2003. These operations are addressed in chronological order, starting with a general overview and followed by an analysis of their international mandate, the legal status of the force/mission, and the applicable law and the participation of third States in the operation. The chapter focuses on common elements on the one hand and on peculiar aspects on the other.
Security (in a broad sense, see infra, II.B) in Europe is the realm of several regional international organisations, mainly the European Union (“EU”), Western European Union (“WEU”), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (“OSCE”) and, to a lesser extent, the Council of Europe, creating a patchwork of regional security institutions that is unique in the world. These organisations interact in many ways and claim to be mutually reinforcing. Is that the case? Is there room for improvement?
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