Brussels, 18 Nov. The European Union (EU) concluded an exercise this Friday with which it has tested its ability to respond to hybrid crises with internal and external dimensions.
The exercise, called “Integrated Resolution of the EU 2022”, has been co-led by the Council of the EU (the Member States), the European Commission and the European External Action Service, and has been developed between September 19 and this November 18th.
The three institutions indicated in a statement that in this period the community club “has tested its preparation and ability to effectively manage complex and intersectoral crises.”
“The exercise will help improve the EU’s ability to respond to a complex and hybrid crisis with both an internal and external dimension,” they noted.
The initiative was divided into two phases. The first revolved around the planning of a military operation of the Common Defense and Security Policy and a civilian mission.
In the second stage, between November 14 and 18, the European Union faced “a simulation of various hybrid threats” in which EU institutions, agencies and bodies participated, as well as twenty Member States.
During this phase, a debate was organized between the ambassadors of the Member States and the Council’s mechanism to respond to crises was activated.
The military operation and the mission prepared in the first phase were also carried out, which included a military exercise carried out by the EU combat group led by Greece and in which Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Ukraine, Serbia and Macedonia of the North. In addition, an evacuation took place at a community club embassy.
In the statement, the three institutions highlighted that the exercise concluded today also helped to strengthen the cooperation of the Twenty-seven with NATO, since this week the personnel of the two organizations exchanged information on the decision-making procedures they follow.
“Overall, ‘EU Integrated Resolution 2022’ offered a valuable and timely opportunity to test the European Union’s response to hybrid campaigns,” the EU institutions concluded. EFE
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