European Gendarmerie Force
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Year of creation: 2004 Presidency 2016: Italie Address: PHQ European Gendarmerie Force - Tél.: 00 39 0444 935242 (secrétariat France) Website: www.eurogendfor.org 
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Participating strengths
• Members: the Spanish Civil guard, the French National Gendarmerie, the Italian Police-customs officers ‘carabinieri’, Dutch Royal Constabulary, the Portuguese Republican National Guard, the Rumanian Gendarmerie and the Polish military Gendarmerie.
• Partner: Lithuanian Viesojo saugumo
• Observer: Turkish Jandarma.
Functioning
A high-level interministerial committee (CIMIN) ensures the force politico-strategic direction. It consists for France of the French National Gendarmerie Director (or Directeur Général de la Gendarmerie Nationale ») - DGGN (by the Minister of Defence’s delegation) and of a Foreign Affairs’ high representative. France has ensured its annual presidency in 2014.
The FGE has moreover a permanent general staff of 38 servicemen, among which 6 French people, based to Vicenza (Italy). It does not possess any permanent forces but is theoretically capable of deploying on an outside theatre 800 staffs in 30 days following the decision on commitment.
Missions
Having vocation to firstly serve the European Union common defence and security policy (PSDC), the FGE can be also engaged in other contexts (UNO, NATO, OSCE, etc.). It can intervene in substitution or in strengthening of the local police forces, contribute to their reconstruction or still participate in humanitarian operations.
Deployable under civil or military command, the FGE has the possibility, thanks to its military character, to be committed on a wide spectre of crises, since the military phase until the stabilization phase, even as a precautionary measure without deployed military force. From abroad, the FGE can so contribute to the European space internal security by contributing towards the fight against terrorism, the cross-boarder criminality, the big illicit traffics (drugs, weapons or human beings), either still the illegal immigration networks.
Operational commitments
• From 2007 till 2010: Bosnia (EUFOR ALTHEAR European military mission EUFOR ALTHEA) → Maintenance of law and order and support to the International Criminal Court - 123 staffs (Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Turkey).
• 2010: Haiti (MINUSTAH United Nations mission) further to the earthquake, in support of the MINUSTAH police forces and the assistance to the Haitian police and to the humanitarian agencies - 300 staffs (Spain, France, Italy).
• 2009-2014: Afghanistan (NATO NTM mission) → Afghan Police Formation and tutoring, then strategic advice contributing to the fight against terrorism - 411 staffs (Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey).
• From May 2014 till March 2015: Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA European military mission) → Interior Security Forces Operational support in Bangui - 101 staffs (Spain, France, Lithuania, Poland).
• Since July 2014: Mali (EUCAP Sahel Mali European civil mission) → Support for the Interior Security Services capacities reconstruction (Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands).
• Since January 2015: Afghanistan (NATO ‘Resolute Support’ mission) → Assistance, training and strategic advice for the benefit of the Afghan security institutions - 75 staffs (Romania, Turkey, Italy, Netherlands, Poland).