European Union Military Staff - 25 Years Contributing to European Defence and Security - 2001 to 2026.
The 22nd of January 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the EUMS by Council Decision 2001/80/CFSP.
As an integral component of the EU’s Integrated Approach to conflict and crisis and acting in concert with the EU Military Committee (EUMC), the EUMS continuously monitors all military aspects of the EU’s CSDP military operations. The EU’s current military operations include EUFOR Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUNAVFOR MED Operation IRINI in the Mediterranean, EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA in the Indian Ocean, and EUNAVFOR Operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea.
The EUMS also supports the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC). Established in 2017 from within the EUMS, the MPCC serves as the Operations Headquarters for the EU’s Military Training Missions (EUTM) currently active in the Central African Republic and Somalia, as well as for the EU’s Military Assistance Missions (EUMAM) in Mozambique and Ukraine. The MPCC additionally commands the military pillar of the EU Security and Defence initiative in the Gulf of Guinea and, since 2025, has been the preferred Operations Headquarters for the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity.
To mark the occasion the EUMS will host a 25 Year Anniversary Photo Exhibition in the Rotunda of the EEAS HQ. The Exhibition will run from 26 January to 20 February 2026 and displays a selection of photographs that showcase the staff of both the EUMS and the MPCC, as well as the important work carried out by the men and women deployed on past and present EU CSDP missions and operations over the last 25 years.
