Military and civilian crisis management

This chapter analyses the CSDP civilian missions and military operations and the European Union's role in military and civilian crisis management. We first trace the evolution of European integration in security and defence policy, culminating in the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). We then scrutinize trends in the nature, kind, and duration of interventions and their interplay with the territorial contexts of those commitments. Although the Union launched more than 40 CSDP interventions between 2003 and 2024, it still lacks autonomous agency, capabilities, and resolve. Intra-CSDP governance remains largely intergovernmental, and member states enjoy veto and opt-out options. Moreover, EU member states conduct crisis management outside CSDP structures through intergovernmental agreements and organizations. We conclude that the Union functions as a ‘cooperation booster’ in the realm of crisis management but performs the important tasks of building structures and norms, facilitating the convergence of resources, and forging common strategies. © The Editors and Contributors Severally 2025