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The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) enables the Union to take a leading role in peace-keeping operations, conflict prevention and in the strengthening of the international security. It is an integral part of the EU's comprehensive approach towards crisis management, drawing on civilian and military assets.
The European Security and Defence College is led by the EU Member States. They provide within their meeting format ('Steering Committee') political and strategic guidance ('decision making body'). The Executive Academic Board is the forum in which the training institutes can meet, discuss and implement the academic programme. This Board can meet in different project-focused configurations. One of these configuration, the EAB.CYBER, will deal exclusively with the tasks given to the Cyber ETEE platform.
On 6 February, the EU Member States decided to develop a cyber platform within the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). Its task will include activities in the fields of education, training, evaluation and exercises. Only six months later, on 20 November 2018, the Head of the ESDC, Mr. Dirk Dubois, was in a position to announce that the cyber platform had initial operating capability (IOC).
For the past 10 years the EU has successfully deployed a CSDP military naval operation to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. Today the threat of piracy has been minimised. At the same time the operation was tasked with monitoring fishing activity and reporting any illegal activity. Improved security conditions now allow communities to engage in fishing activities supported by EU and UN missions and initiatives.
Prevention is better than cure. This basic principle stands behind many of the EU activities. A pertinent example is the EU's civilian monitoring mission in Georgia (EUMM). It was deployed immediately following the war between Russia and Georgia in 2008. EUMM has helped since then to prevent new hostilities and enabled the affected population to resume a normal life free from fear.
From 13rd to 14th of December, the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee (CEUMC), General Claudio Graziano, paid an official visit to France, on the invitation by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Général François Lecointre.
