European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia
| Formation | October 1, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Tbilisi, Georgia |
Parent organization | European Union |
Budget | EUR 20 million[1] |
Staff | 200[2] |
| Website | www |
The European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia) is an unarmed peacekeeping mission operated by the European Union in Georgia. EUMM was conceived in September 2008 following the EU-mediated ceasefire agreement, which ended the Russo-Georgian War. The mission has around 200 monitors from various EU member states and operates with an annual budget of roughly 18 million Euros.[4] Its Headquarters are in Tbilisi, with Field Offices in Gori, Mtskheta and Zugdidi.
EUMM started its monitoring activities on 1 October 2008 and has since been patrolling both day and night, particularly in areas adjacent to the Administrative Boundary Lines with the Russian-backed separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The organization’s mission is to ensure that there is no return to hostilities, to facilitate the resumption of a safe and normal life for the local communities living in the areas adjacent to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and to build confidence among the conflict parties.
EUMM’s mandate is valid throughout all of Georgia. However, in violation of the 2008 ceasefire agreement, Russia and the self-proclaimed Abkhazian and South Ossetian authorities have so far denied EUMM's access to territories under separatist control. EUMM operates under the Common Security and Defence Policy.
EUMM (previously ECMM) in the former Yugoslavia
The European Union had a monitoring mission in the former Yugoslavia. Former EUMM began operating in July 1991 under the name of ECMM (European Community Monitor Mission). The mission was financed by the European Commission and consisted of 75 field specialists. The mission was headquartered in Zagreb and its designated area included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and the Republic of Macedonia. ECMM was renamed as European Union Monitoring Mission on 22 December 2000.[5]
In January 1992, the mission was briefly suspended following the helicopter downing that killed five of its observers.[6]
The EUMM in the former Yugoslavia ended on December 31, 2007.
EUMM in Georgia
Following the 2008 South Ossetia war in August 2008, the EU declared on 15 September 2008 to deploy a monitoring mission to Georgia. The main objectives of the mission is to fulfill the European commitment in re-establishing stability and normalisation following the crisis through an observer mission that consists of over 200 field specialists that conduct routine inspections within the stipulated zone of the mission that includes Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The mission is to observe the compliance with the fulfillment of the six-point-agreement established under the French brokered peace plan between Georgia and Russia on 12 August 2008. The mission started its monitoring activities on 1 October 2008, beginning with oversight of the withdrawal of Russian armed forces from the areas adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Mandate of EUMM Georgia
The Mission’s mandate consists of stabilisation, normalisation and confidence building, as well as reporting to the EU in order to inform European policy-making and thus contribute to the future EU engagement in the region. Originally authorised for 12 months, the mandate has since been extended five times and is currently effective until 14 December 2018. EUMM is mandated to cover the whole territory of Georgia, within the country’s internationally recognised borders, but the de facto authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have so far denied access to the territories under their control.
The Mission is working to prevent the renewal of an armed conflict, as well as to help make the areas adjacent to the Administrative Boundary Lines of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia safe and secure for the local residents. The Mission wants to contribute to and create conditions whereby civilians can cross the Administrative Boundary Lines of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in both directions without fear and obstacles, thus reducing the detrimental effects of the dividing lines.[7] All 27 EU Member States contribute personnel, both women and men, from a variety of civilian, police and military backgrounds. The Mission has its Headquarters in Tbilisi and three Regional Field Offices in Mtskheta, Gori and Zugdidi.
The current budget for the mission - with a staff of about 200 EU monitors - is 19,970,000 €.[8]
Recent developments
On 25 April 2012, the government of Abkhazia declared the head of the EUMM in Georgia, Andrzej Tyszkiewicz, persona non grata, accusing him of being biased towards the Georgian position in the conflict.[9]
See also
- ESDP missions
- Wolfgang Tiede and Jakob Schirmer: "Die rechtlichen Grundlagen der Überwachungsmission der Europäischen Union in Georgien (EUMM)" ("The legal basis of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM)" in Osteuropa-Recht (OER)) 2008 (German Law Journal), (December 2009) vol. 4, pp. 403–413.
References
- ^ EUMM, Facts and Figures, Retrieved: 9 May 2016
- ^ EUMM, Facts and Figures, Retrieved: 9 May 2016
- ^ EUMM, Facts and Figures, Retrieved: 9 May 2016
- ^ EUMM, Facts and Figures, Retrieved: 9 May 2016
- ^ European Union Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina - European Union Monitoring Mission. Retrieved 20 October 2006.
- ^ "EC suspends peace monitoring/Observers killed in helicopter shot down over Yugoslavia". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. 1992-01-08. p. 16. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
- ^ European Union Monitoring Mission to Georgia http://eumm.eu/en/about_eumm
- ^ European Union Monitoring Mission to Georgia https://eumm.eu/en/about_eumm/facts_and_figures
- ^ "Sokhumi Slams EUMM Head". Civil Georgia. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.