Eurocorps

Eurocorps is a military organization for the European Union, which shares many roles with NATO but is distinct from it. It was created by the Petersberg Declaration of June 19th, 1992, which defines the Western European Union (WEU)role as a EU defence component (Petersberg missions). From the Petersberg Declaration, the Eurocorps Member States decided on May 19th, 1993 in Rome to put the Eurocorps at the WEU's disposal.

On January 21st, 1993, the SACEUR Agreement defined the Eurocorps' conditions of employment in a NATO framework. This agreement points out:

• the Eurocorps' missions in a NATO framework,
• the competences for planning commitments,
• the Eurocorps' assignment under a NATO command-in-chief,
• the responsibilities of and the relationship between the NATO Commander-in-Chief and the Eurocorps Commander in peacetime.

Actions under NATO

In 2004, Eurocorps was given the command of the NATO forces in Afghanistan. From August 2004 to February 2005, approximately 450 Eurocorps soldiers formed the core of the ISAF HQ in Kabul, with a major responsibility within this integrating step of the reconstruction and development process of Afghanistan.

This was seen as an experiment for a potential European, as distinct from NATO, defense program. The relationship to NATO is close, however, and Eurocorps led the Land Component Command of NATO Response Force 7 in 2006.

Composition

There is a standing French-German brigade, but the other forces available remain under national commands. Eurocorps headquarters, however, is prepared to control other forces in a crisis. The national participants are:

• Belgium
• France
• Germany
• Luxembourg
• Poland
• Spain