Peacebuilding and EU Institutions and Policies


The main objective of EPLO’s work on EU Institutions and Policies is to ensure that conflict prevention and peacebuilding are prominent within the policies and structures of EU external affairs. Areas of work include the Common Security and Foreign Policy (CFSP), including Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions, the institutional development of the EEAS, EU development policies and practices, as well as the implementation of EU’s comprehensive/integrated approach to conflicts and crises.

For more information about these areas of work, please contact the EPLO office.

Recent Activities

  • On 17 March 2022, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting entitled ‘The role of social media in preventing electoral violence: Perspectives from civil society‘. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 13-14 January 2022, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting entitled ‘The EU’s Implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda: Gathering Young Experts’ Recommendations‘. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 17 September 2021, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting entitled ‘20 years after the Gothenburg Programme: What next for the EU as a Global Peace Actor?‘. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 4 October 2021, EPLO published a statement entitled ‘The European Peace Facility: Minimising Significant Risks in Implementation.
  • On 29 June 2021, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting entitled ‘How can peacebuilding actors counter disinformation? Perspectives from civil society‘. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 27 April 2021, EPLO co-organised an event with Frieden und Entwicklung (FriEnt) entitled ‘The EU and conflict prevention – What next after the German Council Presidency’. Click here to access the event page.
  • On 16 March 2021, EPLO organised a meeting with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security/ Vice President of the European Commission (HR/VP) Josep Borrell entitled ‘Exchange of views on the EU and conflict prevention – From policy to practice’.
  • On 3-4 March 2021, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting entitled ‘The EU Concept on Cultural Heritage as a component for peace and security in conflict and crisis zones: Gathering civil society input.’ Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 17-18 February 2021, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting entitled ‘Towards a new EU strategic approach to support DDR: Gathering input from civil society’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 7-8 October 2020, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Preventing Election-related Violence: Analysis from Civil Society’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 4 November 2020, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Peace Mediation Guidelines: Expert working meeting’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event.
  • On 12 June 2020, EPLO hosted a virtual informal briefing on technical safeguards for the proposed European Peace Facility (EPF).
  • On 14 May 2020, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Capacity building of military actors in support of development and security for development (CBSD) 2018-2020: Informal exchange of views with international non-governmental organisations (INGOs)’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report and the presentation by the evaluation team.
  • On 27 February 2020, EPLO sent a letter on the proposed ‘European Peace Facility’ to all members of the Political and Security Committee (PSC).
  • On 20 February 2020, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Strengthening the EU’s Role in Mediation’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 24 January 2020, EPLO hosted an informal roundtable with Saferworld, PAX and delegates to the Council Working Party on Conventional Arms Exports (COARM) on the proposed European Peace Facility (EPF).
  • On 6 December 2019, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Climate change and violent conflict: Challenges and opportunities for the EU and civil society’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the outcome document.
  • On 26 November 2019, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Risk Management Framework for the EU’s engagement with the security sectors of partner countries – Gathering civil society input’. Click here for more information about the Civil Society Dialogue Network.
  • On 24 October 2019, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Transitioning from war to peace: What role for the EU in addressing illicit economies?’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 1 October 2019, EPLO organised an event with FriEnt in Berlin on the EU, the German Presidency of the Council of the EU (July to December 2020) and conflict prevention.
  • On 26 June 2019, EPLO and the Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the European Union (EU) organised a technical workshop on the proposed ‘European Peace Facility’ entitled ‘Appropriate safeguards for military support: conflict-sensitive risk assessment, monitoring and evaluation’.
  • On 18 June 2019, in the framework of the European Development Days 2019, EPLO and the European External Action Service (EEAS) co-organised a high-level panel entitled ‘Power, Resources and Participation: Addressing inequalities for sustainable peace’.
  • On 21 May 2019, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Unpacking the ‘Peace’ component of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus: Gathering civil society input’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 7 January 2019, EPLO sent a letter on the proposed ‘European Peace Facility’ to all members of the Political and Security Committee (PSC).
  • On 3 December 2018, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘EU support to Transitional Justice: A Review three years after the adoption of the policy framework’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 17 October 2018, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘Reviewing the EU’s conflict analysis practices – gathering civil society input’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the meeting report.
  • On 10 July 2018, EPLO organised a CSDN training seminar on Peace and conflict analysis for EU officials.
  • On 25 May 2018, EPLO organised a policy meeting entitled ‘The European Union as a Global Peace Actor: Exchange of views on the EU and conflict prevention’. Click here for more information about this Civil Society Dialogue Network event and to download the summary meeting report.
  • On 8 May 2018, EPLO published a statement entitled Capacity building in support of development and security for development: Recommendations for implementation’.
  • On 8 and 9 March 2018, EPLO organised a CSDN training seminar on Peacebuilding Advocacy towards the EU. For more information, you can download the agenda.
  • On 20 February 2018, EPLO organised a Brown Bag Lunch event entitled ‘Early action and the Responsibility to Protect: exchange of views with civil society’.
  • On 26 January 2018, EPLO sent a letter on ‘The Integrated Approach: what next after the Council Conclusions?’ to all members of the Political and Security Committee (PSC).
  • On 9-10 December 2010, EPLO organised a two-day seminar on civil society analysis of EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions. This meeting was attended by approximately 15 participants, mainly representatives of local civil society organisations from areas where CSDP missions are or have been deployed and international civil society organisations.
  • In August 2010, EPLO published a study on co-operation between civil society organisations and two of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy missions (EULEX in Kosovo and EUPOL COPPS in the Palestinian Territories). Click here to download EPLO’s publication entitled Accountability and Effectiveness of CSDP Missions: The Role of Civil Society (June 2010).
  • On 29 June 2010, EPLO, the Parlamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security and the office of Heidi Hautala MEP jointly organised a panel discussion on ‘Conflict Prevention and the European External Action Service’ in the European Parliament in Brussels. Click here to download an article about the event by Heidi Hautala MEP. Click here to download a report of the event from the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security.
  • On 27 April 2010, EPLO and EPLO member organisations Saferworld, Kvinna till Kvinna and the Kosovar Nansen Dialogue organised a civil society seminar on the draft study on CSDP missions in Pristina.
  • On 18 March 2010, EPLO’s Executive Director, Catherine Woollard, gave a presentation to the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights on EPLO’s recommendations for the establishment of the EEAS. Click here to watch the presentation (starts at 10:24:23).
  • On 8 February 2010, EPLO hosted its second roundtable meeting on the EEAS. Click here to download a report of the meeting.
  • On 11 September 2009, EPLO hosted its first roundtable meeting on the EEAS. Click here to download a report of the meeting.
  • On 7 April 2022, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting on the Strategic Review of EUMM Georgia.
  • On 29 March 2022, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting on the Strategic Review of EUTM Mali.
  • On 15 March 2022, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting on the Strategic Review of EUCAP Sahel Niger.
  • On 25 February 2022, EPLO organised a CSDN policy meeting on the Strategic Review of EUTM RCA and EUAM RCA.
  • In September 2021, EPLO produced a CSDN discussion paper entitled ‘Gatherin civil society perspectives for the Strategic Review of EUAM Iraq‘.
  • On 7 May 2021, EPLO hosted an informal call on the engagement of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions with civil society actors.
  • On 27 October 2020, EPLO organised an online CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of EUAM Ukraine.
  • On 3 February 2020, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting in Nairobi on the Strategic Review of the EU’s three CSDP missions in Somalia (EUTM Somalia, Operation ATALANTA and EUCAP Somalia).
  • On 20 November 2018, EPLO participated in an exchange of views on the new civilian CSDP compact at the European Parliament’s (EP) Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE).
  • On 26 June 2018, EPLO organised a policy meeting in Kyiv entitled ‘Supporting Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine: What Role for the European Union?’.
  • On 27 February 2018, EPLO organised a Brown Bag Lunch event entitled Training Central African troops on International Humanitarian Law – Lessons learnt for CSDP’.
  • On 15 February 2018, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting in Brussels on the Strategic Review of EUMM Georgia.
  • On 23 January 2018, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting in Tbilisi on the Strategic Review of EUMM Georgia.
  • On 30 November 2017, EPLO published a research paper Dealing with the Human Factor: Conflict Prevention and Civilian CSDP in the framework of the EU-CIVCAP project.
  • On 27 September 2017, EPLO Senior Policy Officer Anna Penfrat gave a presentation on the CSDP and Africa at the ‘CSDP High Level Course’ which was organised by the European Security and Defence College, the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence and the Egmont Institute for International Relations.
  • On 27 September 2017, EPLO organised a Brown Bag Lunch event entitled ‘Human Rights and Gender in CSDP missions: Where does the EU stand’.
  • On 5 September 2017, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of the EULEX Mission in Kosovo.
  • On 28 June 2017, EPLO organised a Brown Bag Lunch Discussion on ‘Human Rights and Gender Mainstreaming in CSDP missions: the cases of EUCAP Sahel Mali and EUCAP Sahel Niger’.
  • On 8 June, EPLO Senior Policy Officer Anna Penfrat gave a presentation on “What is successful civilian crisis management?” in the seminar “Future of Civilian Crisis Management: Priorities, Successes and Challenges” organised by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EPLO Member WISE.
  • On 17 January 2017, EPLO organised a Brown Bag Lunch discussion on “the gender impact of EU missions in the Western Balkan: Insights from everyday practice”, with Dr. Kenneth McDonagh, an Academic Friend of EPLO.
  • On 12 October 2016, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of the EUAM Mission in Ukraine.
  • In May 2016, EPLO organised a Brown Bag Lunch Discussion on “Practical examples of integrating human rights and gender into CSDP missions: the case of EUPOL COPPS and EUMM Georgia”
  • In September 2015, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of the EUMM Mission in Georgia.
  • In July 2015, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of the EULEX Mission in Kosovo, entitled “Assessing progress towards the end state of the Mission”.
  • In October 2014, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on The EU, conflict prevention and peacebuilding: State of play and the role of civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in Vienna. For more information, you can download the meeting report, the summary of the report and the key recommendations.
  • In September 2014, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on “EUAM Ukraine and Effective Security Sector Reform: Input from Civil Society”. For more information you can download the summary report.
  • In June 2014, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on EUPOL Afghanistan.
  • In May 2014, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of EUTM Somalia.
  • In January 2014, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of the EUMM Mission in Georgia.
  • In December 2013, EPLO organised a CSDN meeting on the Strategic Review of EUCAP Sahel Niger.

Recent publications

To know more about the CSDN and the EU-CIVCAP project