Hoofdkwartier Europese marechaussee geopend in Italiaanse stad Vicenza (en)

Headquarters opened in Vicenza

"The common EU gendarmerie is proof that the European Security and Defence Policy is working", EU Council President Günther Platter, Austria's Defence Minister, said today, Monday, at the opening of the headquarters of the EU gendarmerie in Vicenza, Italy. "We want to move forward on civil-military cooperation during the EU Presidency." According to Platter, the EU gendarmerie was a decisive step: "A major success during our Presidency".

"The deployment of purely military forces is not sufficient in many conflict situations," Platter stressed. It was therefore essential to have a balance of military and civilian components. "Particularly during the transition from a military to a civil operation, the EU gendarmerie can hold the key to success."

The decision to set up the EU gendarmerie was taken in Noordwijk/Netherlands in 2004. The gendarmerie can take on military police tasks in international EU operations under both civilian and military command. The EU gendarmerie can be transferred within 30 days to the deployment area and assume military police tasks.