"The European Gendarmerie Force is making an important contribution to the European Security and Defence Policy”, EU Council President Günther Platter, Austria’s Defence Minister, said today, Monday, at the opening of the headquarters of the European Gendarmerie Force in Vicenza, Italy. "We want to move forward on civil-military cooperation during the EU Presidency." According to Platter, the European Gendarmerie Force was a decisive step in this context: "Important progress during our Presidency".
"The deployment of purely military forces is not sufficient in many conflict situations,” Platter stressed. It was therefore essential to have a balance of military and civilian components. "Particularly during the transition from a military to a civil operation, the European Gendarmerie Force can hold the key to success."
The decision to set up the European Gendarmerie Force was taken in Noordwijk/Netherlands in 2004. It comprises police units under military organisation from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain and can take on military police tasks in international EU operations under both civilian and military command. It can be transferred to the deployment area within 30 days.
Contact:
Federal Ministry of Defence
Office of the Minister
Roßauer Lände 1, 1090 Vienna
Tel: +43 (1) 5200 20215
Fax: +43 (1) 5200 17390
martin.brandstoetter@bmlv.gv.at
http://www.bundesheer.at
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