Last year Sweden built up one of the EU battlegroups: the Nordic Battlegroup. For six months, this force was on continuous standby, ready for rapid deployment anywhere in the world. But there was a lack of political unity in the EU when it came to sending the force into action and the soldiers remained at home. The fact is that no EU battlegroup has yet been used. Now Minister for Defence Sten Tolgfors wants to change that.

“It’s unfortunate from more than one point of view that we build up very effective units that then aren’t used. For one thing, it costs taxpayers money, and for another, we don’t take the opportunity to do good where we’re needed.”

But why is it that the battlegroups are not deployed? The reason is quite simply that the Council of the European Union, which decides on missions, has to take a unanimous decision. So far, it has proved impossible to reach such unanimity.

Consequently, Mr Tolgfors wants the EU to reconsider how the battlegroup concept should be interpreted. He proposes a broader interpretation, which would make it possible to use a battlegroup for purposes other than just rapid reaction situations.

“When the EU approved a military operation in Chad last year, it took six months to put together units that were ready to travel. Meanwhile we had two battlegroups available that were ready for action but couldn’t be sent out because they were reserved for rapid reaction situations. Perhaps in that sort of situation, it might be possible to ‘borrow’ a battlegroup,” he says.

Mr Tolgfors thinks the issue is important and topical so he plans to raise it at the ministerial meeting next week.  It has already been discussed at informal level on two separate occasions this summer, when the interest of other Member States was gauged. The aim is for the Ministers to reach agreement at the Council meeting in Brussels later this autumn.

Facts about the EU-battlegroup concept

Member States are responsible for organising Battlegroups and make them available for the EU, in rotating six month periods. There are always two Battlegroups on simultaneous standby, providing the EU with a tool for rapid crisis management. Quickly suppressing an emerging crisis or conflict, to prevent further escalation, is an important task for the EU Battlegroups. When a Battlegroup has fulfilled its task, more long-term measures can be implemented.