THE (DIS-/)INTEGRATION OF THE EU’S RAPID RESPONSE CAPABILITIES: THE CASE OF THE EU BATTLEGROUPS
THE (DIS-/)INTEGRATION OF THE EU’S RAPID RESPONSE CAPABILITIES: THE CASE OF THE EU BATTLEGROUPS

Summary/Abstract: The post-Cold War circumstances challenged Europe in terms of security and defence. The European states realised that they had to share the responsibility for global security in order to ensure their own integrity. In other words, a common strategic culture was sought to be developed as an expression of an articulated intercultural communication aimed to act as a binding element between the EU member states formerly belonging to the Eastern and Western Blocs. The EU’s rapid response capabilities in general and the EU battlegroups in particular were chosen as the best answer to this strategic demand. Despite the EU battlegroups being considered the cornerstone of European ‘expertise’ in terms of crises management operations, this rapid response capability proved to be a disillusion. For a better understanding of the current status of the EU battlegroups concept, this paper is going to assess its feasibility. Special considerations will be offered regarding its itinerary, the strategic and operational challenges that this concept is facing and, not ultimately, regarding its prospects.

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