Drawing Lessons Learnt on Operational Capabilities of EU’s CSDP Missions in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Drawing Lessons Learnt on Operational Capabilities of EU’s CSDP Missions in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Summary/Abstract: EU has taken on the role of guaranteeing long-term stability through different measures of conflict prevention and peace building in two countries of the Western Balkans, which have undergone a severe armed conflict in the 1990s. This paper undertakes an analysis and evaluation of operational capabilities of civilian mission EULEX Kosovo and military operation EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It draws lessons learned from the challenges the missions have faced in this field of functioning, namely operational capabilities. Furthermore, the article provides a quality assessment comparing both missions’ operational capabilities, which can lead to improvement in approaches. The overarching feature in both EU missions is the seeming lack of willingness by the EU and its partner nations to continually politically commit to more effort at contributing to well-functioning security sectors of Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina not only “waving their flag on the ground”. It draws the conclusion that without the political willingness, both missions are exposed to many operational risks.

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