Under a 2003 agreement, the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are authorized to deploy additional troops to Bosnia and Herzegovina at short notice if security threats arise.

These military forces operate under United Nations resolutions and possess an executive mandate allowing them to use force, particularly for self-defense against attacks or imminent threats.

The recent remarks by High Representative Christian Schmidt highlighted the issue of NATO’s jurisdiction in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In discussing potential complications in the region, he noted:

“If the situation escalates, it is evident that the European Union, EUFOR, and NATO, through the ‘Berlin Plus’ mechanism, can bolster their presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While I don’t see an immediate need for this, we must remain vigilant,” Schmidt stated to Voice of America on November 23.

Schmidt also affirmed that “an Army of Republika Srpska will not be established.”

He underscored that international community members, including NATO, “will not idly observe” as Milorad Dodik, a BiH Presidency member and leader of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), challenges the viability of the Armed Forces of BiH while proposing the creation of an RS army.

Forces Ready for Deployment

The EUFOR Altea mission operates in the field utilizing NATO assets and capabilities, governed by the “Berlin Plus” agreement with NATO.

The inaugural mission established under this framework was “Operation EUFOR Concordia” in North Macedonia, initiated in March 2003 to oversee the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement. By December of the same year, this military mission transitioned to a police mission.

The subsequent year saw the creation of the EUFOR Altea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since then, the EU has implemented around thirty civilian and military missions globally.

Many details of the “Berlin Plus” agreement between NATO and the EU are classified.

What is known is that confidential information exchange is maintained between EU and NATO organizations. NATO funding supports EU-led civil-military operations, coupled with regular operational discussions.

NATO units can be called upon to assist EUFOR personnel on the ground, and EU-led military operations factor into NATO’s defense strategy.

Per this agreement, EU and NATO member states maintain reserve forces for the EUFOR Altea Mission outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, dispersed throughout Europe (Over-the-Horizon Reserve Forces). These “reserve forces” can be mobilized at short notice to augment EUFOR personnel in the event of security threats.

This framework ensures that EUFOR can swiftly intervene to support law enforcement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Consequently, EUFOR, NATO, and the Armed Forces of BiH conduct annual “Rapid Response” exercises to practice and exhibit EUFOR’s capability to deploy reserve forces to aid BiH authorities in ensuring a secure environment.

Crisis Management

NATO continues to serve as the cornerstone of collective defense for its member states under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an armed attack against one or multiple NATO members is considered an attack against all.

The European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), in coordination with NATO, has expanded the EU’s tools to “independently conduct crisis management operations,” as outlined in European legislation.

This agreement also clarifies the organizational structure and decision-making processes.

The operational headquarters for Operation EUFOR Altea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with other current and future EU missions, is situated at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), a NATO command near Brussels, Belgium.

A military office known as the EU Command Element was also established at the NATO base in Naples, Italy, within the Joint Force Command (JFC Naples).

This office’s role involves coordinating NATO-EU reserve forces and providing updates about the Western Balkans to the operational commander in SHAPE.

The operational commander collaborates with the European External Action Service (EEAS), functioning as the EU’s “Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the European Union Military Committee (EUMC), which comprises commanders-in-chief from EU member states’ armies, and the European Union Military Staff (EUMS), a specialized EEAS division of military and civilian experts from member states.

Political control and strategic oversight are entrusted to the EU’s Political and Security Committee, operating at the ambassadorial level among EU member states. This committee reports to the Council of the European Union, composed of ministers from the member states, specifically defense ministers.

In mid-July 2020, French Lieutenant General Brice Houdet was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Allied Forces Europe and Operational Commander of Operation EUFOR Altea. Houdet’s experience includes service in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Africa, and the Foreign Legion.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, mission commanders on the ground have come from Austria, a non-NATO state. As of January 2021, this role is held by Austrian Major General Aleksandar Plac.

The Last Line of Defense

The United Nations Security Council, with unanimous backing from Russia and China, extended the one-year executive mandate of the European Union military mission EUFOR Altea in Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 3, 2021.

Currently, a battalion comprising around 600 soldiers from 19 countries operates in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 15 of those being European NATO members. The remaining contributors are North Macedonia, Chile, Switzerland, and Austria.

EUFOR holds the mandate to use military force, although they have stated that this would be contingent on conditions where “the secure and stable environment is gravely threatened, and existing security frameworks are at risk of collapse.”

As one of the EUFOR commanders in Bosnia, Major General Reinhard Trisak, noted, if state law enforcement agencies, police, and the Armed Forces of BiH manage to perform their duties effectively, “EUFOR must remain the last resort.”

Peacekeeping Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The EUFOR Altea mission is the EU’s longest ongoing military operation, representing the only land mission and the sole mission equipped with an executive mandate to employ force.

Initiated in 2004 through a United Nations Security Council resolution that concluded NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) operations named “Operation Joint Guard,” which lasted from 1996 to 1998, and “Operation Joint Forge,” which also occurred during the same period.

SFOR derived from the Implementation Forces (IFOR) mission, which started post-Dayton Peace Agreement and concluded with the withdrawal of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in late 1995 under “Operation Joint Endeavour,” running until the end of 1996.

The official mandate of all foreign military missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to implement the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war, and to “contribute to a secure environment.”

Initially, EUFOR had a deployment capacity of around 7,000 soldiers.

Operation Altea was restructured in 2012, shifting its focus to the non-executive components of its mandate, which involve capacity building and training for the Armed Forces of BiH.

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