Director General of the European Union Military Staff

Last updated
Director General of the European Union Military Staff
Coat of arms of the European Union Military Staff.svg
Incumbent
Lieutenant General Michiel van der Laan
since 28 June 2023
European Union Military Staff
Reports to High Representative, Military Committee
Seat Kortenberg building, Brussels, Belgium
Term length 3 or 4 years
Formation11 June 2001;22 years ago (11 June 2001)
First holder Rainer Schuwirth
Deputy Deputy Director General of the European Union Military Staff
Website eeas.europa.eu

The Director General of the European Union Military Staff (DGEUMS) is the head of the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) who also serves as Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (Dir MPCC). This position, which was established in 2001, is held by a three-star general. The current holder is lieutenant general Michiel van der Laan, occupying the position since June 2023. [1]

Contents

Task

The Director General is responsible for the EUMS' work in providing strategic advice to the High Representative (HR), reporting to the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) - representing member states' Chiefs of Defence - and performing "early warning", situation assessment and strategic planning.

Since 2017 the DGEUMS has served as Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), and assumes the function of the single commander for all non-executive military missions of the European Union (EU). The DGEUMS exercises command and control over the current three training Missions and other possible future operations. Presently the MPCC may only run non-executive operations. By the end of 2020 the MPCC will be capable of running executive operations of up to 2,500 troops, i.e. the size of one battle group. [2]

Relation with the rest of the Military Staff, the High Representative and Military Committee

The relationship between the High Representative, the Military Staff and Military Committee as of November 2017: [3] Colour key:
  High Representative (a Vice-President of the Commission)
  Coat of arms of the European Union Military Committee.svg Military Committee (EUMC; a Council body)
  Coat of arms of the European Union Military Staff.svg Military Staff (EUMS; a Directorate-General of the External Action Service)

High Representative
Coat of arms of Europe.svg
Chairman EUMC
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
Working Group
Golden star.svg
Emblem of the European Union Military Committee Working Group - Headline Goal Task Force.svg
Working Group/Headline Goal Task Force
Director General EUMS/
Director MPCC
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
Legal advisor Deputy Director General
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
Horizontal Coordination
Assistant Chief of Staff for SynchronisationEU cell at SHAPE EU Liaison at the UN in NY Assistant Chief of Staff for External Relations NATO Permanent Liaison Team
Concepts & Capabilities
Directorate
Golden star.svg
Intelligence
Directorate
Golden star.svg
Operations
Directorate
Golden star.svg
Logistics
Directorate
Golden star.svg
Communications & Information Systems
Directorate
Golden star.svg
Military Planning and
Conduct Capability
(MPCC)
Chief of Staff
Golden star.svg
Working Group
Current Operations

Role in the command and control structure

The EU command and control (C2) structure is directed by political bodies composed of member states' representatives, and generally requires unanimous decisions. As of April 2019: [4]

Liaison:       Advice and recommendations       Support and monitoring       Preparatory work     
Political strategic level: [5]
ISS EUCO Pres. (EUCO) Chain of command
Coordination/support
SatCen CIVCOM HR/VP (FAC)
INTCEN HR/VP (PMG) HR/VP (PSC) [6] Coat of arms of Europe.svg Coat of arms of the European Union Military Committee.svg
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
CEUMC (EUMC)
CMPD Coat of arms of the European Union Military Staff.svg
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
DGEUMS [3] (EUMS)
Military/civilian strategic level:
Coat of arms of the European Union Military Staff.svg
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
Dir MPCC [3] ( MPCC )
JSCC Civ OpCdr CPCC [1]
Operational level:
MFCdr [4] (MFHQ)HoM [1]
Tactical level:
CC [2] LandCC [2] AirCC [2] MarOther CCs [2]
ForcesForcesForcesForces


1 In the event of a CSDP Civilian Mission also being in the field, the relations with the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) and its Civilian Operation Commander (Civ OpCdr), as well as the subordinate Head of Mission (HoM), are coordinated as shown.
2 Other Component Commanders (CCs) and service branches which may be established.
3 The MPCC is part of the EUMS and Dir MPCC is double-hatted as DGEUMS. Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), either a national OHQ offered by member states or the NATO Command Structure (NCS) would serve this purpose. In the latter instance, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), rather than Dir MPCC, would serve as Operation Commander (OpCdr).
4 Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), the MFCdr would be known as a Force Commander (FCdr), and direct a Force Headquarters (FHQ) rather than a MFHQ. Whereas the MFHQ would act both on the operational and tactical level, the FHQ would act purely on the operational level.
5 The political strategic level is not part of the C2 structure per se, but represents the political bodies, with associated support facilities, that determine the missions' general direction. The Council determines the role of the High Representative (HR/VP), who serves as Vice-President of the European Commission, attends European Council meetings, chairs the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and may chair the Political and Security Committee (PSC) in times of crisis. The HR/VP proposes and implements CSDP decisions.
6 Same composition as Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) II, which also prepares for the CSDP-related work of the FAC.

List of holders

No.PortraitDirector GeneralTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branchNationality
1
European Union politic personality icon.svg
Schuwirth, RainerLieutenant General
Rainer Schuwirth  [ de ]
(born 1945)
11 June 20011 March 20042 years, 264 daysColour of Germany.svg  German Army Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
2
European Union politic personality icon.svg
Schuwirth, RainerLieutenant General
Jean-Paul Perruche
(born 1947)
1 March 200428 February 20072 years, 364 daysFlag of France.svg  French Army Flag of France.svg  France
3
Lt Gen David Leakey.jpg
Leakey, DavidLieutenant General
David Leakey
(born 1952)
1 March 200728 May 20103 years, 88 daysFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
4
European Union politic personality icon.svg
Osch, TonLieutenant General
Ton van Osch
(born 1955)
28 May 201028 May 20133 years, 0 daysFlag of the Royal Netherlands Army.svg  Royal Netherlands Army Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
5
Wolfgang Wosolsobe at the 2014 EDA European Defence Matters conference.jpg
Wosolsobe, WolfgangLieutenant General
Wolfgang Wosolsobe
(1955–2018)
28 May 20131 May 20162 years, 339 daysFlag of Austria (state).svg  Austrian Land Forces Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
6
Informal meeting of defence ministers (FAC). Arrivals Esa Pulkkinen (36890876876) (cropped).jpg
Pulkkinen, EsaLieutenant General
Esa Pulkkinen
(born 1957)
1 May 201630 June 20204 years, 60 daysMilitary flag of Finland.svg  Finnish Army Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
7
European Union politic personality icon.svg
Bléjean, HervéVice Admiral
Hervé Bléjean
(born 1963)
30 June 202028 June 20232 years, 363 daysCivil and Naval Ensign of France.svg  French Navy Flag of France.svg  France
8
European Union politic personality icon.svg
van der Laan, MichielLieutenant General
Michiel van der Laan
(born 1965)
28 June 2023Incumbent228 daysFlag of the Royal Netherlands Army.svg  Royal Netherlands Army Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands

Deputy

The DGEUMS is assisted by the Deputy Director General and the Chef of Staff (DDG/COS, a two-star general). [5]

List of Deputy Directors General
NamePhotoNationalityTerm beganTerm ended
Rear Admiral Bruce Williams Commodore Bruce Williams 20070404 crop.jpg Arms of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 20112015
Rear Admiral Waldemar Głuszko Kontradmiral.Waldemar.Gluszko.jpg Herb Polski.svg  Poland 20152017
Major General Giovanni Manione European Union politic personality icon.svg Emblem of Italy.svg  Italy 20172022
Major General Gábor HorváthHungary2022

See also

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References

  1. "Handover ceremony of EUMS Director-General and MPCC Director". eeas.europa.eu. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  2. https://cdn4-eeas.fpfis.tech.ec.europa.eu/cdn/farfuture/aGKF41zrLDLuNeg8csm24scxmjEwj4JBvrRbaLeaY4M/mtime:1542656575/sites/eeas/files/mpcc_factsheet_november_2018.pdf Archived 2018-11-21 at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. "Impetus" (PDF). eeas.europa.eu. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  4. EU Command and Control, p. 13, Military Staff
  5. http://www.council-tvnewsroom.eu/video/eums-change-of-command-extract%5B%5D
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Change of command ceremony on 28 May 2013, YouTube video
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Change of command ceremony in 2016, YouTube video

Official website