The European Union Military Staff (EUMS)
We, the EU Military Staff, are the source of military expertise within the European External Action Service (EEAS). The EUMS role is to provide early warning, situation assessment, strategic planning, Communications and Information Systems, concept development, training & education, and support of partnerships.
We work under the direct authority of the High Representative / Vice President, (HRVP) Josep Borrell, who leads the EEAS and chairs the Foreign Affairs Council and Defence.
The EEAS coordinates the external actions of the EU. As the EU's diplomatic service, it is also responsible for the development and execution of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). We are committed to be the military component of this team.
The Military can be used across the full spectrum of crisis prevention, response and management; ranging from support to Humanitarian Assistance, Civil Protection, Security Sector Reform, stabilisation and evacuation of citizens, to more complex military operations such as peace keeping and peace enforcement. We strengthen the diplomatic leverage of the EU, because together with Member States we ensure that the EU can act militarily.
In concert with the EU Military Committee and EEAS partners, we create the circumstances in which military can conduct their Operations and Missions together with their civilian partners in the field. If security reasons deny others the ability to operate, the military will stand and act as necessary, accepting the related risks. This gives us a special responsibility.
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Lt Gen Michiel van der Laan, DG EUMS and Dir MPCC
Organisation
The EUMS is led by the Director General (DGEUMS, a three-star general) who is assisted by the Deputy Director General and the Chef of Staff (DDG/COS, a two-star general/Rear Admiral).
THE CONCEPTS AND CAPABILITIES (CON/CAP) DIRECTORATE MISSION IS
"To be responsible for EUMS concepts, doctrine, capability planning and capability development including crisis management exercises, training, analysis and lessons learned, and for cooperation with the European Defence Agency. Vis à vis EUMS planning, to ensure coherency between the EU military concepts and the crisis management procedures".
THE INTELLIGENCE (INT) DIRECTORATE MISSION IS
"To provide intelligence input to early warning and situation assessment. To contribute to the EUMS planning through the provision of intelligence and intelligence planning expertise. To provide the intelligence input to crisis response planning and assessment for operations and exercises".
THE OPERATIONS (OPS) DIRECTORATE MISSION IS
"To plan EU-led military crisis management operations, including post-launch strategic crisis response planning, develop strategic advance and crisis response planning, including early military assessment and planning in support of informed decision making; to monitor all CSDP operations and to generate the capacity to plan and run an autonomous operation".
THE LOGISTICS (LOG) DIRECTORATE MISSION IS
"To serve as a focal point for all matters in the functional areas of logistics, to contribute to the EUMS Planning through the provision of logistic planning expertise, to be responsible for logistic concepts and doctrine, to provide the logistic element of crisis response planning and assessment for operations and exercises and to provide administrative support to the EUMS".
THE COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (CIS) & CYBER DEFENCE DIRECTORATE MISSION IS
"To contribute to the EUMS core planning capability through the provision of CIS and Cyber Defence planning expertise at the strategic and operational level, to provide the CIS and Cyber Defence element of crisis response planning and assessment for operations and exercises and to be responsible for the EUMS contribution to the development of policies and guidance for planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of Communication and Information Systems and Cyber Defence capabilities, in support of CSDP activities".
THE ACOS SYNCHRONIZATION MISSION IS
"To assist the Chief of Staff in the coordination and synchronization of the EUMS internal processes and information flows, to facilitate and canalise the support the EUMS provides to the Chairman of the EUMC, and to support him in the preparation and management of meetings".
THE ACOS EXTERNAL RELATIONS MISSION IS
"To develop policy for, and maintain the military dimension of, all EUMS' external relations in close cooperation with EEAS Management Directorates and the CMPD. This involves coordinating military-to-military cooperation with International Organisations, Strategic Partners; and Third States. The office is also responsible for all Public Information/Press Relations issues in close collaboration with the EEAS Strategic Communications Division".
THE EU CELL AT SHAPE (EUCS) UNIT MISSION IS
"To prepare for EU operations having recourse to NATO common assets and capabilities under Berlin plus arrangements and to support DSACEUR in his role as a potential operational commander for an EU-led operation. It contributes to full transparency between NATO and the EU embodying their strategic partnership in crisis management".
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