European Union Operations Centre

European Union Operations Centre
Type	Military operations centre
Site information
Owner	European Union
Controlled by	Francisco Cornago Diufain
Site history
In use	2012-Present

The European Union Operations Centre (EU OPCEN) is the non-standing, ad-hoc headquarters of the European Union's (EU) Common Security and Defence Policy (CFSP) that plans and conducts particular CFSP operations. The EU OPCEN is operational five days following a decision by the Council to launch a predominantly military operation.

Since 2015 the Juncker Commission has proposed that the current, ad hoc EU OPCEN is transformed into a permanent Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Brussels that provides contingency planning and a command-and-control framework to plan and run CSDP operations, instead of relying on ad hoc or NATO structures.

Delegation of operational headquarter functions

Since the EU deployed its first CFDP operation in 2003, it has embloyed four types of operational headquarters (OHQ):

• National 'parent headquarters'
• NATO headquarters, based on the Berlin Plus agreement
• Local Mission Headquarters
• European Union Operations Centre (EU OPCEN)

National 'parent headquarters'

To date, five member states Member States - France, Germany, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom - have declared their national operational headquarters (OHQ) as being available for CSDP operations. These 'parent HQs' are respectively located in Paris, Ulm, Larissa, Rome and Northwood. Operation Atalanta is managed by the latter.

NATO headquarters, based on the Berlin Plus arrangement

Further information: Berlin Plus agreement

EUFOR Althea is conducted with NATO's command structure, based on the Berlin plus arrangement between the EU and NATO.

Local Mission Headquarters

The training missions in Somalia and Mali have local Mission Headquarters situated in Mogadishu, Somalia and Bamako, Mali, respectively.

European Union Operations Centre

Main article: European Union Operations Centre

The European Council decided in December 2004 to establish a further OHQ option: the EU Military Staff in Brussels was tasked to set up an Operations Centre able to plan and to run a particular operation, in particular where a joint civil/military response is required, and where no national HQ is identified. Since 1 January 2007, the EU Operation Centre was ready for activation by the Council for the conduct of autonomous operations. The EU Operations Centre, located in the close neighbourhood of the main EU institutions in Brussels, is not a standing, fully manned Headquarters. The permanent facilities - premises and the necessary equipment, staffed by a small core team of four officers - enable the Council to establish, on very short notice, the full-fledged Operations Centre for a particular operation. In the case of a predominantly military operation, a total of 103 officers and civilians would be able to start planning after five days following Ministers' decision. The EU Operations Centre would reach its full capability to command the operation after twenty days, at the latest. The staff of the EU Operations Centre will be composed of the permanent core team, double-hatted personnel from the EU Military Staff and other parts of the European External Action Service, including the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD); the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC); and the geographical desks, as well as further reinforcements from Member States.

Activation

On the 23 March 2012 the Foreign Affairs Council decided to activate, for the first time, the EU Operations Centre to coordinate and increase synergies between the three CSDP missions in the Horn of Africa. On 1 December 2014 the Foreign Affairs Council decided to amend and extend the Mandate and tasks of the EU OPCEN, in order to expand its civil/military coordination and planning support role, and assume enhanced geographical responsibility for the Sahel region.

According to the Council Decision, the Mandate and tasks of the EU OPCEN are:

"The EU Operations Centre shall provide support in the field of operational planning and conduct of the CSDP missions and operation in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel region with a view to increasing efficiency and synergies for CSDP within both regions. In this framework the EU Operations Centre shall facilitate information exchange, improve coordination and strengthen civil-military synergies."

• To provide, using its military and specialised planning expertise, direct support to the Civilian Operations Commander for the operational planning and conduct of the civilian missions in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel region.
• To provide support to the military Missions and Operation Commanders in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel region.
• To provide support to the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD), at its request, in its strategic planning for CSDP missions and operation in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel region.
• To facilitate interaction between the respective CSDP missions and operation and the Brussels based structures. In relation to the "train and equip" pilot cases in Mali and Somalia, the EU OPCEN may usefully provide support to a functional coordination mechanism, in view of its implementation plan.
• To facilitate coordination and improve synergies amongst the CSDP missions and operation in the Horn of Africa, in the context of the Horn of Africa strategy and in liaison with the European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa and the European Union Special Envoy for Somalia.
• To facilitate coordination and improve synergies amongst the CSDP missions in the Sahel region, in the context of the Sahel Strategy in liaison with the European Union Special Representative for the Sahel.

The EU Operations Centre will not have command responsibility, but fully respect the existing chains of command. This 'tailored' activation of the EU Operations Centre will include a dedicated staff of sixteen personnel Seconded by Member States, as well as the Brussels-based Support Cells for the EUTM Somalia, EUTM Mali and the Liaison Team of EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA in Brussels.

Structure

The staff of an activated EU OPCEN is composed of:

• Chief of Staff; the present Operations Directorate Branch Chief OPSCEN/WKC (Watch-keeping Capability) of the European Union Military Staff (EUMS), appointed by the Council
• Support Cells based in Brussels:
  • the permanent core team (the four permanent staff)
  • double-hatted personnel from the European External Action Service (EEAS), including the European Union Military Staff (EUMS)
• sixteen personell seconded by member states

The present EU OPCEN Chief of Staff is Captain Francisco Cornago Diufain. Diufain succeeded the first head, Captain Ad van der Linde.

History

In December 2004 the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) was tasked by the European Council to be ready to set up an EU OPCEN capable of planning and conducting an operation, in particular where a joint civil/military response is required and where no national HQ is identified. The responsibility for assuring this capability lies with the OPSCEN/WKC (Watching Keeping Capacity) Branch of the EUMS Operations Directorate. Since 1 January 2007, the EU Operation Centre is ready for activation by the Council for the conduct of autonomous operations.

EU OPCEN was first activated on 23 March 2012 by the Foreign Affairs Council in relation to three CSDP operations in the Horn of Africa. This mandate was later extended until the end of 2016 and expanded the geographical and functional scope to the entire Sahel region.

Proposed development

Since 2015 the Juncker Commission has proposed that the current, ad hoc EU OPCEN is transformed into a permanent Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Brussels that provides contingency planning and a command-and-control framework to plan and run CSDP operations, relying instead on ad hoc or NATO structures.

See also

• Common Security and Defence Policy
  • European Union Military Staff

External links

• EEAS Descrition
• Leaflet