The EU's lack of airlift capabilities

EU missions

The EU currently has 11 civilian or military missions in the field under its European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). But only five of them have a head count of more than 50: three in the Balkans, one in Chad and one in Afghanistan.

• Kosovo: Eulex was initially to be fully staffed by the time Kosovo's new constitution as an independent state entered into force on 15 June 2008. Delay will persist for several months because the Eulex relationship with the UN remains to be determined. It will comprise some 1,900 international personnel, mostly police officers, judges, prosecutors and customs officials. Its main task is to support Kosovo's law enforcement structures. In that function, it partially takes over from the existing UN administration of Kosovo (Unmik). It is headed by retired French General Yves de Kermabon.

• Bosnia: The European Union's Police Mission (EUPM) took over from a UN police mission in 2003 and was the EU's first mission under the ESDP. Eufor, currently under the command of Spanish Major-General Ignacio Martín Villalaín, took over from NATO-led peacekeepers (SFOR) in 2004. EUPM, led by Italian Brigadier General Vincenzo Coppola, currently has around 180 personnel; Eufor has 2,500. Both missions support implementation of the 1995 Dayton peace agreement, but Eufor's presence is mainly symbolic; it no longer undertakes routine patrols.

•  Afghanistan: Eupol has some 120 police officers and around 40 civilian experts from 20 countries – including non-members Canada and Norway – in Afghanistan, a number that is to rise to around 230. The mission, mainly involved in training Afghan police forces, began in June 2007, building on an earlier German training operation. It is commanded by Brigadier-General Jürgen Scholz of Germany.

•  Chad: Launched on 28 January, Eufor, the EU's military mission in Chad (with a small contingent in the neighbouring Central African Republic) reached its initial operating capability on 15 March and is to operate until March 2009. Over 3,000 troops have been deployed by now, with a final strength of some 3,700 to be reached later this summer. Roughly half the troops are French, but overall command rests with Irish Lieutenant-General Patrick Nash. Eufor came under attack, presumably from rebels, in June, but suffered no casualties.