This CSDN Discussion Paper examines how civil society engagement can strengthen the European Union’s civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions. Drawing on research, interviews and EPLO’s longstanding work with EU institutions, the paper analyses both the added value and the practical challenges of involving civil society actors in EU crisis management efforts.
The analysis highlights that civil society organisations can play a crucial role in improving contextual understanding, identifying emerging risks and strengthening the legitimacy and effectiveness of EU missions. At the same time, engagement remains uneven across missions due to structural constraints such as limited resources, insufficient integration of civil society considerations into mission mandates and operational barriers in the field.
The paper also presents examples of promising practices from specific missions and offers recommendations to bridge the gap between policy commitments and operational reality. These include mainstreaming civil society engagement in mission planning, improving training for staff and allocating dedicated resources to support sustained dialogue with local actors.
