General Information

Poland is a member of the European Union since 2004. Engaging with the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is – along with NATO membership and cooperation with key partners – one of the pillars of Polish security.

CSDP is an integral part of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy. It entails the development of the civilian and military capabilities and the EU and member states in order for the European Union to be able to effectively and holistically manage outside crises. The CSDP cooperation lets us react to threats in conjunction with actions undertaken as part of other EU policies. Poland is supporting the EU playing a greater global role and the strengthening of CSDP. We see it as a necessary complement to the actions of NATO.

Poland has been actively involved in military activities aimed at the enhancement of defence and crisis response capabilities as part of CSDP for 20 years. In that time, we have secured our position as a reliable partner and a state greatly contributing  to European security, including by taking part in the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. Being also a member of NATO, we have worked to strengthen the EU-NATO cooperation, bolstering trans-atlantic security. By supporting cooperation within the framework of the Common Security and Defence policy we were working towards strengthening the defence capabilities of member states. We were engaged in the development of EU defence capabilities as part of defence initiatives and programmes like Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), European Defence Agency, and membership in the European Defence Fund. We were and continue to be involved in almost all of EU military operations. In some of them, our involvement proved a key contribution, such as with the EUFOR Tchad/CAR.

It should be noted that we are one of the few EU states capable of playing the role of a framework (leading) state in EU Battlegroups, and we regularly deploy groups enhancing the Union’s ability to react to international crises.

Permanent Structured Cooperation in the EU

Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is a treaty instrument that allows member states (in practice: 25 of 27) to assume additional responsibilities with regards to defence and strengthens defence cooperation. Decisions regarding the activation of PESCO, accepting new member states and rejecting those who don’t fulfil their obligations are made with a qualified majority. Other decisions, including those on creating and managing projects, require unanimity.

The functioning of PESCO can be practically seen in the projects aimed at enhancing defence capabilities, in which member states take part. As of the end of 2023, 71 projects were initiated that dealt, among others, with industrial cooperation, training, doctrines and common use of the resources at the disposal of member states (4 of those projects were finalized for a variety of reasons). Management and financing of projects are the responsibility of those states that participate in them (an option exists to be an observer and not participate in the project’s funding, but in that case a state has no vote on the direction of its development).

Poland participates in 13 PESCO projects and is an observer in 23 more. Among those 13 is one initiated by a November 2019 decision of the Council of the European Union, for a planned Special Operations Forces Medical Training Centre (SMTC), which Poland coordinates. Besides Poland, Hungary participates, and Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland and Slovakia are observers.

Other PESCO projects in which Poland participates are:

1. Military Mobility (coordinator: the Netherlands);
2. European Secure Software defined Radio – ESSOR (coordinator: France);
3. Network of Logistic Hubs in Europe and Support to Operations (coordinator: Germany);
4. Maritime Semi-Autonomous Mine Counter Measures – MAS MCM (coordinator: Belgium);
5. Harbour and Maritime Surveillance and Protection – HARMSPRO (koordynator: Włochy);
6. Cyber Rapid Response Teams and Mutual Assistance in Cyber Security (coordinator: Lithuania);
7. EU Radionavigation Solution – EURAS (coordinator: France);
8. Integrated Unmanned Ground Systems – IUGS (coordinator: Estonia);
9. Integrated European Joint Training and Simulation Centre – EUROSIM (coordinator: Hungary);
10. European Medical Command (coordinator: Germany),
11. EU Collaborative Warfare Capabilities – ECoWAR (coordinator: France),
12. Defence of Space Assets – DoSA (coordinator: France).

Development of defence capabilities in the EU

Poland takes active part in other initiatives meant to enhance EU member states defence capabilities as well. We are participating in the European Defence Agency (EDA), which coordinates the development of member states defence capabilities and improving the effectiveness of common use of respources in conducting operations. We are implementing multinational research and development projects in which Polish research and industrial actors are involved. Our participation in setting the standards and requirements makes it easier to implement them in national projects and supports interoperability.

EU Initatives for Supporting the Defence Industry

On January 1st, 2021, the European Defence Fund (EDF) was inaugurated. It finances the projects of international consortiums (3 or more entities, from 3 or more member or associated states) for the following:

• Research projects, including for new technologies as well as;
• Development projects for weapons and military equipment, including building prototypes.

EDF is financed from the EU budget (it is formally described as meant to support the European defence industry). Its value for the 2021 – 2027 period is 7,95 bln EUR, of which 2,65 bln is assigned for research and 6,3 bln – for development.

In the previous year two new instruments were created that support the European defence industry:

• European Defence Industry Reinforcement through Common Procurement Act (EDIRPA), financing the administrative costs of common weapons purchases made by at least 3 member states (value for 2023 – 2025: 300 mln EUR);
• Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAPsupporting the European defence industry’s capabilities of expanding artillery shells production,  which is meant to both  replenish the supplies of member states and send them to Ukraine (value: 500 mln EUR).

Further actions of the EU in the field of support of the european defence industry were presented on March 5th in the European Commission’s communique on European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) oraz projekcie rozporządzenia Parlamentu Europejskiego i Rady w sprawie Europejskiego Programu dla Przemysłu Obronnego (European Defence Industrial Programme, EDIP). 

Participation in EU Battlegroups

Poland actively participates in the creation of Battlegroups – rapid deployment units, enabling the EU to take immediate action beyond its borders in crisis situations. In the first half of 2010 Poland was a framework state in a Battlegroup created together with Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia and Latvia, taking responsibility for the organization of the force’s command and its combat element. In the first half of 2013 a Weimar Battlegroup was on duty, created by Poland, France and Germany. Just like with the earlier Group, Poland was responsible for coordinating its preparation and operations. In 2016, 2019 and 2023 the Visegrad Battlegroups were created, with Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary taking part in 2016, an addition of Croatia in 2019, and in 2023 Croatia was joined by Lithuania and Latvia.

Poland took on the role of a framework (leading) state in the Visegrad Battlegroups (EU BG V4) as well, providing most of the forces and resources. In addition, Poland created for those Groups a dedicated Operational Command that supported the Land Operations Centre – Land Component Command in Cracow. It was an additional element of Polish investment in the implementation of the concept of Battlegroups, enhancing the EU capability for crisis response and enabling the use of Battlegroups if such a need arose.

In connection with the EU developing the Rapid Deployment Capacity meant to increase the operability of rapid deployment forces, changes were made in the concept of EU Battlegroups, i.a. lengthening their tour of duty to twelve months. Poland is also involved in the implementation of this new concept, creating a RDC Battlegroup to be on duty from July 2024 to the end of June 2025.

Involvement in EU military operations

Polish soldiers took part in an European Union military operation even before the accession: in 2003, as part of the EUFOR Concordia in Macedonia. We are continuing our support for security in the Balkans: since 2004 we participate in the EUFOR Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which took over the activities of the NATO SFOR mission. Our operational inolvement is not limited to regions geographically close to Poland. In the years 2015 – 2020 Poland took part in a naval EU operation EUNAVFOR MED SOPHIA in the Mediterranean Sea, the aim of which was combating the criminal organizations moving illegal migrants to Europe. From April 1st, 2020 we are continuing our involvement by participating in a new operation, UE EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, which is concentrated on enforcing a Lybia arms embargo. Moreover, we are delegating officers to the command of the EUNAVFOR Atalanta, a naval operation combating piracy in the Horn of Africa and to an advisory and training mission EUTM RCA in the Central African Republic. Additionally, in the years 2013-2014 a Polish training contingent fulfilled its objectives as part of the EU training mission in Mali (EUTM Mali), and in the years 2014-2015 – as part of a military operation in the Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA), supporting the UN. Earlier, we took part in other missions in Africa – EUFOR RD Congo (in 2006) and EUFOR Tchad/RCA (2008). In both of those missions, Polish contingents were among the largest.

Now Poland contributes much to EU activities offering military support to Ukraine in the context of Russian aggression. This includes the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine, in which almost all European Union member states take part, as well as Norway. The strategic goal of the mission is increasing the military capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by providing individual, team and specialist training. 

The command on the strategic level (Operations Headquarter, OHQ) is executed by a command unit working as part of the European External Action Service, the so-called Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) in Brussels. Command on the operational level is provided by the Combined Arms Training Command (CAT-C) built upon the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division in Żagań. It provides for the mission structure, along the Special Training Command (STC) in Strausberg.

Poland provides an important contribution to the efforts of the international community aimed at militarily supporting Ukraine, in whcih the European Union is a key element for financial and training support, through the European Peace Facility.

Cooperation in the Framework of the European Defence Agency (EDA)

Poland is involved in the activities of the European Defence Agency through its participation in multinational research and development projects, in which Polish research and industrial entities also take part. Thanks to these projects we are contributing to the development of new solutions and technologies that are key to modern defence operations. Our role in the process of setting standards and requirements as part of the EDA activities helps to later implement them in national defence projects, which in turn increases interoperability and effectiveness of the Polish Armed Forces.

Polish participation in EDA programmes and projects has a positive impact on technological development and increasing defence capabilities, in both national and European context. We have the ability to use the research for our own goals, and Polish entities paricipate in the programmes and projects as parts of international consortiums, which forges international ties and supports European cooperation.

In the industrial sphere, Poland actively participates in EDA works towards the strengthening of the the EU’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base, its defence market, supply security, small and medium entrepreneurships, enhancing industrial capabilities and the possibility to use European structural funds for defence purposes.

EDA conducts, i.a.,  the Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition (CPoA), which answers the need for a common and more rapid purchase of ammunition through the aggregation, coordination and signing of contracts with the European defence industry. This EDA project provides a solid framework for the member states’ plan of collaborative procurement, at the same time answering the urgent need to replenish supplies and close critical gaps in capabilities.

EU institutions Webpages:

• European External Action Service Portal – information on CSDP (http://www.eeas.europa.eu/csdp/index_en.htm)  
• European External Action Service Portal – information on EU operations (https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/area/foreign-affairs_en)
• European Defence Agency (http://www.eda.europa.eu/) 
• CSDP Instruments (http://eeas.europa.eu/csdp/structures-instruments-agencies/european-security-defence-college/index_en.htm)
• European Parliament’s  Subcommittee on Security and Defence (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/sede/home/highlights)