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Today (14 December 2007) at Butmir Camp, Sarajevo, EUFOR held a formal ceremony to mark the Full Operational Capability of the enhanced Integrated Police Unit (IPU) Headquarters. This HQ has received staff from the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF). The EGF is a multinational initiative of Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish Police Forces with military status. Its aim is to reinforce International Community capabilities on police missions. Next to the five EGF Member States already mentioned Hungary, Romania and Turkey also participate in the IPU by providing manpower and equipment essential to conducting IPU tasks. The ceremony was presided over by COMEUFOR, Major General Villalain, accompanied by the EUFOR IPU Commander, Colonel Giovanni Pietro BARBANO. Amongst the guests were Lieutenant General Menze Beuvig, who acts as the Commander of the EGF capability, Brigadier General Vincenzo Coppola, the Head of the EUPM and many otherrepresentatives of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a crucial asset of EUFOR the IPU has an inherent information gathering and preventative orientation capability. It will continue to contribute to the safe and secure environment through assisting in the maintenance of public order and supporting the civilian implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace. In particular, the IPU, upon request can support BiH Local Police in technical investigations and cooperate during the execution of special activities. Furthermore the specialized element is capable to perform information gathering activities; crime analysis and investigation; search operations, document exploitation and escort operations. More importantly the IPU provides the strength behind operations requested by the ICTY to search for persons indicted for war crimes. The IPU has been in existence since February 2007 when EUFOR transitioned from three Tasks Forces to one multinational battalion and the IPU. These forces remain based in Camp Butmir and posess a strong capability to ensure the current safe and secure environment.

SARAJEVO, November 22 (FENA) – EUFOR is pleased to announce that the Integrated Police Unit (IPU) based at Butmir Camp and which is one of the key components of EUFOR has received new personnel in the headquarters from elements of the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF). EUFOR welcomes this enhancement to the IPU capabilities and now that the mandate has also been extended for another year EUFOR and BiH can look forward to continuing the progressive work towards European integration whilst ensuring the safe and stable environment, EUFOR said. The EGF is a multinational initiative of Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish Police Forces with military status. Its aim is to reinforce International Community capabilities on police missions. This event strengthens the capability of the IPU that has been par of EUFOR since 1 January 2005 and adds to the nationalities that already provide manpower and equipment. Next to the five EGF Member States already mentioned Hungary, Romania and Turkey also participate in the IPU by providing manpower and equipment essential to conducting IPU tasks. As crucial asset of EUFOR the IPU has inherent information gathering and preventative orientation capabilities, and, under EGF management, will continue to contribute to the safe and secure environment through assisting in the maintenance of public order and supporting the civilian implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace. In particular, the IPU, upon request can support BiH Local Police in technical investigations and cooperate during execution of special activities. Furthermore the specialized element is capable to perform information gathering activities; crime analysis and investigation; search operations, document exploitation and escort operations. This has been observed earlier this week when a PIFWC operation occurred in Pale, in support of the ICTY. The ongoing investigation into this particular case continues. The commander of the EUFOR IPU remains as Italian Carabinieri Colonel Giovanni Pietro BARBANO who took over the role on 1 August 2007.

In Short: The European Gendarmerie Force, a European military police, has opened its headquarters in Vicenza, Italy. It will be in charge of peacekeeping missions around the world. Brief News: Last year, the French Minister for Defence Michèle Alliot-Marie suggested the creation of a European military police, a project, which was then initiated by five EU member countries (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and The Netherlands) and which is now up and running.

There is a growing need for an international the security gap between the end of military combat, peace support, relief operations, and the start of restoration of civil authority. Several governments of the European Union, drawing on longstanding paramilitary national police forces, are creating a multinational European Gendarmerie Force (EGF), which could fill some of the security gap. With a permanent headquarters based in Italy, the EGF would act as light expeditionary forces, configured to serve both as keepers of public order (so-called substitution missions) and as advisers and trainers of local police (strengthening missions).