Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU confirms decision on transition

Summary: Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU confirms decision on transition (28 February 2007: Brussels)

The European Union decided yesterday to confirm its decision to implement a transition of military Operation EUFOR ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in the light of the security situation in the country.¹

The security situation in BiH has evolved enough to permit the EU to decide on a transition of operation ALTHEA. The EU will reduce EUFOR's size but keep an appropriate robust military presence as part of its overall engagement in BiH, contributing to the maintenance of the safe and secure environment.

EUFOR will reconfigure progressively, but will also maintain the capacity to reverse the effects of the force reduction for an initial period of 6 months and to re-establish a more robust military presence if needed.

Under the transition plan, in 2007 the EU force (EUFOR) will retain around 2,500 troops in BiH, able to respond should the security situation require it.

A multinational manoeuvre battalion will be based in Sarajevo and, in addition, EUFOR will retain its presence throughout the country through the liaison and observation teams (LOTs). EUFOR will retain its capacity to react throughout the country to any possible security challenges and reserve forces will be available over the horizon.

The EU will keep through EUFOR an effective military force in BiH, in accordance with its peace-enforcement mandate under Chapter VII of UN Charter (Security Council resolution 1551).

EUFOR will continue to provide support to the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia), including the detention of persons indicted for war crimes, while noting that the responsibility for full cooperation with ICTY rests with the BiH authorities.

The EU remains committed to and engaged in BiH. It supports the process of transition to increased BiH ownership and reiterates its full support to the European perspective of BiH. The EU has gradually reinforced its political presence in BiH, notably through expanding office of the EU Special Representative.

On 2 December 2004 the EU launched military operation ALTHEA in BiH. The decision to launch Operation ALTHEA followed the decision by NATO to conclude its SFOR-operation and the adoption by the UN Security Council of resolution 1551 welcoming the EU's intention to launch an operation in BiH. In the framework of Operation ALTHEA, the EU deployed a robust force (EUFOR) in BiH (6000 troops), under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, to ensure continued compliance with the Dayton/Paris Agreement and to contribute to a safe and secure environment in BiH. Operation ALTHEA is carried out with recourse to NATO assets and capabilities, under the "Berlin Plus" arrangements.

¹ A decision in principle was taken by the Council on 12 December 2006.

**************************************

EU Council Secretariat ~FACTSHEET~ EU military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Operation EUFOR - Althea)

Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) - launched on 2 December 2004 - has successfully contributed to the maintenance of the safe and secure environment in BiH. The security situation in BiH has evolved enough to permit the European Union to decide on a transition of operation ALTHEA.

Transition

The EU decided on 27 February to confirm its decision to implement a transition of military operation EUFOR ALTHEA in the light of the security situation in the country and taking into account the potential effect of the regional security situation.

The EU will reduce EUFOR's size but keep an appropriate robust military presence as part of its overall engagement in BiH, contributing to the maintenance of the safe and secure environment.

EUFOR will reconfigure progressively, but will also maintain the capacity to reverse the effects of the force reduction for an initial period of 6 months and to re-establish a more robust military presence if needed.

Under the transition plan, in 2007 the EU force (EUFOR) will retain around 2,500 troops in BiH, able to respond should the security situation require it. A multinational manoeuvre battalion will be based in Sarajevo and, in addition, EUFOR will retain its presence throughout the country through the liaison and observation teams (LOTs). EUFOR will retain its capacity to react throughout the country to any possible security challenges and reserve forces will be available over the horizon.

The EU will keep through EUFOR an effective military force in BiH, in accordance with its peace-enforcement mandate under Chapter VII of UN Charter (Security Council resolution 1551).

EUFOR will continue to provide support to the ICTY, including the detention of persons indicted for war crimes, while noting that the responsibility for full cooperation with ICTY rests with the BiH authorities.

The parameters of the operation:

• The military operation ALTHEA in BiH was launched on 2 December 2004. The decision to launch Operation ALTHEA followed the decision by NATO to conclude its SFOR-operation and the adoption by the UN Security Council of resolution 1575 authorising the deployment of an EU force in BiH. In the framework of Operation ALTHEA, the EU deployed a robust force (EUFOR) in BiH (7000 troops), under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, to ensure continued compliance with the Dayton/Paris Agreement and to contribute to a safe and secure environment in BiH. Operation ALTHEA is carried out with recourse to NATO assets and capabilities, under the "Berlin Plus" arrangements.

• The main objectives of Operation ALTHEA are:

 First and foremost, to maintain a safe and secure environment in BiH and to ensure continued compliance with the Dayton/Paris agreement (General Framework Agreement for Peace / GFAP);

 Also, to support the international community's High Representative/EU Special Representative for BiH and the local authorities, inter alia in the fight against organised crime.

• In addition, EUFOR provides support to the ICTY and relevant authorities, including for the detention of persons indicted for war crimes. It also contributes to defence reform in BiH.

• Operation ALTHEA is carried out with recourse to NATO common assets and capabilities, on the basis agreed with NATO ("Berlin Plus"). The Operation Commander is General Sir John Reith (UK).

• ALTHEA's Force Headquarters is situated in Sarajevo (Camp Butmir). The current EU Force Commander is Rear Admiral Hans-Jochen Witthauer (Germany).

• The EU's Political and Security Committee exercises the political control and strategic direction of the operation, under the responsibility of the Council of the EU.

• The common costs of Operation ALTHEA are paid through contributions by Member States to a financial mechanism (Athena) based on GDP.

• The EU Force (EUFOR) currently (i.e. pre-transition) comprises some 6,200 troops who operate under a UN Chapter VII mandate, as specified in UN Security Council Resolutions 1575 (2004), 1639 (2005) and 1722 (2006). The force includes troops from twenty-four EU Member States. Albania, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey also participate in the operation.

• On 27 February 2007, the EU decided to reduce EUFOR's size to some 2,500 troops. EUFOR will reconfigure progressively, but will also maintain the capacity to reverse the effects of the force reduction for an initial period of 6 months and to re-establish a more robust military presence if needed.

Achievements to date

Operation ALTHEA has successfully ensured compliance with the Dayton agreement and contributed to the maintenance of the safe and secure environment in BiH through deterrence and reassurance.

Deterrence and reassurance are ensured by showing presence, visibility and exerting robustness, and authority. In this context, for instance, EUFOR continues regularly to carry out important weapons collection activities across the country, it has conducted searches of companies suspected of pursuing activities in contravention of the GFAP and it has also supported de-mining operations

EUFOR has been pro-active in ensuring the integration of its efforts with other EU actors in theatre, including the EU Special Representative (EUSR), the EU Police Mission (EUPM) and the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM). The synergies that this holistic EU approach brings have had a positive effect in helping BiH progress toward a European perspective.

In addition to working closely with other EU actors in BiH, EUFOR supports the international community generally and, of course, the local authorities. EUFOR has conducted operations to help the local law enforcement agencies disrupt illegal activities by those involved in organised crime and against illegal logging. These operations, conducted at the request of local authorities and with EUPM's endorsement, have helped develop and strengthen the capacity of the local law enforcement agencies. EUPM has successfully assumed the leading role in coordinating the policing aspects of the ESDP efforts in the fight against organised crime. EUFOR co-operates closely with EUPM (on the basis of common operational guidelines) in this area.

By supporting the local law enforcement agencies in fighting against organised crime, EUFOR has also helped to disrupt support to ICTY indictees and further contribute to a safe and secure environment.

The EU and BiH

The EU continues to fully support the European perspective of BiH. The future for BiH lies in a well functioning and stable multiethnic state, based on democracy and the rule of law, within its internationally recognised borders.

Operation ALTHEA is part of a closely co-ordinated EU presence in BiH. The EU Special Representative continues to promote overall EU political co-ordination and coherence in BiH.

More than € 2.5 billion of European Community funds have been committed for BiH since 1991 to dealing with conflict and post-conflict development in BiH (excluding bilateral aid from Member States, estimated at over € 1.8 billion for the period 1996-2001). From 1991 to 2000, EC assistance (ECHO, PHARE, Obnova) focused on refugee return programmes and reconstruction. From 2001 focus has shifted towards institutional capacity-building and economic development in accordance with the goals of the Stabilisation and Association Process -- in short the preparation for further movement towards the EU.

The EC pre-accession financial assistance allocated to BiH amounts to € 51 million in 2006. BiH also participates in a number of other EU programmes. In addition to pre-accession assistance, Community funds amounting to approximately € 24.1 million were provided in 2006 to support the offices of the EU Police Mission, the High Representative, the EUSR and the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM).

Ref: CL07-057EN
EU source: Council
UN forum:
Date: 28/2/2007

| Top |

< Back to previous page