On 21 October, the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia become the first civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Mission, with representation by all 28 Member States.
On the occasion, Head of Mission, Erik Høeg stated:
“I am pleased to announce that EUMM Georgia, as of today, is the first CSDP Mission ever to include staff from all 28 Member States. My gratitude to committed colleagues from all 28 Member States for their contribution and to the EU capitals for their continuing support”.
EUMM is the only international presence on the ground, monitoring security and living conditions of communities affected by the conflict who are living in the areas adjacent to the Administrative Boundary Lines of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Background:
EUMM is an unarmed, civilian Mission of the European Union. It was deployed on 1 October 2008 to monitor compliance with the Six Point Agreement that ended the August war. EUMM experts patrol 365 days of the year and regularly report their observations to EU member states and EU institutions.
With over 200 monitors from across the EU deployed in Georgia, the Mission represents the continuous commitment of the EU to peace and stability in the region. The Mission is currently headed by Mr. Erik Høeg, a senior Danish diplomat.
The main tasks of EUMM Georgia are:
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Stabilisation: monitoring the situation on the ground, particularly along the Administrative Boundary Lines between the territory under the administration of the Georgian government and the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In addition to regular patrolling, the Mission helps to maintain stability by operating a Hotline to deal with incidents in real time.
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Normalisation: monitoring the impact of the conflict on the people living near the Administrative Boundary Lines or displaced from their homes as a result of the 2008 war.
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Confidence building: contributing to the reduction of tensions through liaison and facilitation of contacts between the parties to the conflict.
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Informing EU policy: providing information and analysis to policy-makers of the EU member states.
