The Peace, Partnerships and Crisis Management Directorate (PCM) coordinates and manages the EEAS’s contribution to the EU Integrated Approach to External Conflicts and Crises, combining security, development and diplomatic actions.

In close cooperation with geographic and thematic EEAS services as well as other EU institutions, PCM ensures coordination of the EU’s preventive and crisis response actions throughout the conflict cycle, from early warning and horizon scanning to peace mediation, political-strategic planning for crisis management and stabilisation.

PCM develops and manages relations with the EU’s closest partners in the fields of peace, security and defence. This includes bilateral relations with countries including the United States, Canada and Norway, and multilateral organisations such as NATO, the UN and the African Union.

PCM1 – Integrated Approach for Peace and Security

The PCM.1 Division plays a critical role in the European Union's efforts to manage external conflicts and crises. Its primary aim is to ensure consistency in policies and effective coordination among various EU instruments, operationalising the EU's Integrated Approach to External Conflicts and Crises.

PCM.1 Mission: “We connect the dots across all of the EU’s crisis management instruments – civilian and military – throughout the conflict cycle, ensuring coherent and consistent EU actions in third countries.”

Operational Tools

• Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment (RPBA): a joint approach of the EU, the United Nations and the World Bank to identify and address immediate- and medium-term recovery and peacebuilding requirements.
• Political Framework for a Crisis Approach (PFCA): A comprehensive EU strategy for crisis management, incorporating a common understanding of a crisis and outlining short to long-term engagement strategies.
• Stabilisation Assessment: A rapid assessment tool for identifying immediate stabilisation needs and initiating long-term peacebuilding efforts. 
• Civil Society Dialogue Network: A mechanism for dialogue between civil society and EU policymakers on peace and conflict, facilitating idea exchange in various settings.
• Regional Integrated Approach Coordination and Consolidated Integrated Approach Matrix: These tools brings together various EU actors to enhance synergy and coordination in conflict or crisis regions.

Thematic Expertise and Tools

• Security Sector Reform: PCM.1 assists in nationally led SSR processes, providing comprehensive security sector analyses and facilitating EU assistance.
• Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration: Coordination of the EU’s DDR policy, including training and capacity building.
• Climate Change and Security: Integrating climate considerations into conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and crisis management.
• EU Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Due Diligence (HRDD): Leading the implementation of HRDD Policy in EU CFSP and CSDP security sector support.
• Cultural Heritage in Conflicts and Crisis: Supporting the protection of cultural heritage in conflict zones to foster peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion.

Knowledge Management Tools

• Evaluation of Impact of Civilian CSDP Missions: PCM.1 is in the lead of developing a specific concept and methodology to evaluate the impact of Civilian CSDP Missions, starting in 2024.
• EU Knowledge4Peace (EUK4Peace): An online platform for sharing policy documents and lessons in the field of Peace, Security, and Defence.
• CSDP Training Policy Coordination: PCM.1 is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the CSDP training policy, within EEAS as well as between Member States in close cooperation with European Security and Defence College, ensuring well-prepared staff for CSDP missions and operations.

Secretariat of the Partnership for Security and Stability in the Sahel (P3S)

The P3S, an initiative of the international Coalition for the Sahel established in 2020, is coordinated by the EU and administratively embedded in PCM1. The Secretariat of the P3S fosters synergies between EU institutions, Member States, Sahel countries, and the international community on security and stabilisation in the Sahel.

PCM2 – Peace, Security and Defense Partnerships

The PCM.2 Division engages with partners on peace, security and defence, conducts early warning and conflict analyses and supports peace mediation and dialogue in line with commitments under the EU’s Strategic Compass. It engages with multilateral and bilateral partners, holding dialogues and developing cooperation, with the goal of strengthening the EU role as a reliable global partner in peace, security and defence matters.

The division manages the peace, security and defence consultations and dialogues with bilateral and multilateral partners, and conducts seminars and public diplomacy activities on peace, security and defence matters. It develops and manages the EU’s tailored partnerships with third states and international organisations (e.g. UN, NATO, AU, OSCE, ASEAN) in the field of peace, security and defence. Overall, the Division facilitates more than 20 bilateral dialogues and informal consultations on a wide array of security and defence issues with third states. PCM.2 also incorporates the Task Force on EU-NATO Relations, which coordinates all EU-NATO matters within the EEAS, liaising with relevant experts.

This Division organises annually the Schuman Forum, bringing together the EU and its closest international partners to facilitate dialogue and strategic reflection to address common challenges. This important event at ministerial level brought together in 2023 more than 70 delegations - from multilateral organisations and bilateral partners, as well as EU Member States.

PCM2 identifies risks of conflict through quantitative and qualitative data, conducts early warning and conflict analyses and provides recommendations for conflict prevention. Between 2020 and 2023, the Early Warning System (EWS) and the Conflict Analysis Screenings (CAS) tools produced over 70 reports to strengthen evidence-based decision-making, identify opportunities for EU conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and ensure the conflict sensitivity of EU programming, while also shaping political and security EU engagement.

PCM.2 is the centre of expertise on peace mediation and dialogue in the EU. It supports more than 25 peace processes worldwide, by providing direct support to EU peace mediation efforts by the HR/VP, EU Special Representatives and Heads of Delegations, or by supporting the efforts of international and regional organisations like the United Nations and the African Union and private mediation organisations with expertise and funding. It also conducts the annual EU Community of Practice on Peace Mediation, which brings together more than 500 experts, practitioners and diplomatic representatives, and produces also policy guidance and organises trainings on mediation and dialogue. Follow the link to access the EEAS Peace Mediation Guidelines.

PCM3 – Strategic planning for crisis management

This Division is responsible for delivering both military and civilian CSDP political-strategic effect through the conceptual design and review of CSDP missions and operations. The division conducts political-strategic integrated planning and evaluation for actions under Art. 42/43/44 (CSDP) and for political-strategic support/advice on security and defence crisis management issues.

In particular, liaising with geographic and thematic services as required, PCM.3 is the lead Service for (i) the integrated strategic planning of CSDP military and civilian missions/operations, including the development of Crisis Management Concepts (CMC) or similar options/concept papers; (ii) evaluating the mandates of CSDP missions/operations through Strategic Reviews and Assessments and ensuring the interface between the political and strategic levels of CSDP actions; (iii) preparing Council Decisions for CSDP missions/operations, defining their political, legal and financial framework as well as their further review and potential mandate adaptation; and (iv) leading, in coordination with the relevant EU delegations, the process leading to the signature of Status of Mission/Forces Agreements with CSDP hosting countries.

The Division is also responsible for providing CSDP/CFSP advice and support to EU lead services' work on security and defence aspects of crisis management, as well as on work with external actors (e.g. UN, NATO), and to other lead services working on the development of concepts and policy initiatives pertaining to CSDP. It also supports relevant chains of command (OHQs, CPCC and MPCC) in ensuring operational compliance of new policy initiatives by current CSDP missions and operations and in the establishment of new CSDP actions.

Where appropriate, it supports relevant chains of command (OHQs, CPCC and MPCC) in ensuring operational compliance of new policy initiatives by current CSDP missions and operations and in the establishment of new CSDP actions. Finally, it supports a coherent EU response, from a CSDP perspective, to specific crisis situations based on the Integrated Approach.

PCM.3’s approach, both to process and substance, results in tangible and concrete political and operational effect on the ground. It is the only division within the EEAS dedicated simultaneously to both civilian and military CSDP missions and operations, making it a vitally important component part of the Integrated Approach to the EU’s external action.

PCM4 – European Peace Facility

“The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a fund that member states pay into in addition to their contributions to the EU Budget. Initially set up in 2021 for a period of seven years, the EPF serves as a unified mechanism to finance the EU’s military and defence actions, including EU military missions and operations as well as assistance measures to support partners.

Through the European Peace Facility, the EU funds the common costs of military missions and operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy, contributing to the EU’s ability to serve as a global security provider. The European Peace Facility also supports peace support operations conducted by international or regional organisations and partner countries around the world.

In addition, the European Peace Facility also finances assistance measures under the Common Foreign and Security Policy to strengthen the capacities of third states as well as regional and international organisations to enable them to better face threats to local, regional and global security. As part of this effort, the European Peace Facility has provided military equipment in support of partners in Africa, the Western Balkans, the Middle East and the Eastern Neighbourhood of the EU.

When providing military equipment and support for the capability development of the armed forces of third states, the EPF includes strict compliance, safeguards and monitoring measures. Assistance measures are adopted only following a thorough risk assessment and the EEAS carefully monitors the compliance of partners with Council decisions, international human rights law, international humanitarian law and all relevant arms export laws.”

• Follow the link to learn more about the European Peace Facility.