European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine

European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) is a civilian Common Security & Defence Policy (CSDP) mission of the European Union.[1] It aims to assist Ukrainian authorities to reform civilian security sector. It provides strategic advice and practical support to make Ukrainian civilian security sector more effective, efficient, transparent and enjoying public trust. EUAM Ukraine works with a number of law enforcement and rule of law institutions of Ukraine, and it formally began operation on 1 December 2014, following Ukrainian Government's request.[2][3][4][5]

European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine
FormationDecember 1, 2014; 9 years ago (2014-12-01)
HeadquartersKyiv, Ukraine
Head of Mission
Rolf Holmboe
Parent organization
European Union
Staff300
Websitewww.euam-ukraine.eu

EUAM Ukraine has field offices in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa and a Mobile Unit. Due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Mission’s field offices in Kharkiv and Mariupol are temporarily non-operational. EUAM Ukraine’s team of around 300 international and Ukrainian mission members works to implement EUAM Ukraine’s mandate.[6]

EUAM Ukraine’s mandate is implemented through three lines of operation:

  • Strategic advice on civilian security sector reform, in particular, to develop strategic documents and legislation;
  • Support for the implementation of reforms through the delivery of practical advice, training, projects, and equipment donations;
  • Cooperation and coordination to ensure coherence of reform efforts between Ukrainian and international actors.[6]

EUAM Priorities

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International Crimes
EUAM Ukraine enhances the capacities of Ukrainian agencies and institutions to investigate and prosecute International Crimes, including war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
Organised and Cross-Border Crime & Integrated Border Management
EUAM Ukraine strengthens Ukraine’s capacity to fight organised crime and further develop its Integrated Border Management with special attention to countering cross-border crime as well as enhancing border traffic fluency, including with a view to trade facilitation.
Community Safety and Police Management
EUAM Ukraine promotes trust between Ukrainian communities and the Police through Community Safety Dialogue mechanisms and the delivery of professional police services, including in the liberated and adjacent territories in Ukraine.
Criminal Justice
EUAM Ukraine builds effective investigation and prosecution capacities related to judicial reform as well as transitional justice capacities to complement the Mission’s support to Ukraine in the field of International Crimes.
National and State Security
EUAM Ukraine reforms Ukraine’s security and intelligence agencies with a particular emphasis on capacity building and international cooperation; and bringing these under democratic oversight.

Cross-Cutting Measures

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EUAM focuses on four «cross-cutting measures» each of which is integrated into the Mission’s five priority areas.

Human Rights, Gender Equality and Minority Rights
Mainstreaming human rights, gender equality and minority perspectives into all advice and support provided to Civilian Security Sector agencies and institutions.
Anti-Corruption
Recognising corruption as an endemic problem in Ukraine, and perhaps the greatest obstacle on the path to reform, to enhance the Anti-Corruption capacity of the police, prosecution and judiciary.
Good Governance
Good governance is concerned with reform in areas such as public administration, public oversight, public finance, and decentralisation.
Digital Transformation and Innovation
Bringing digital and innovative solutions to governance and human resource management.:

Heads of Mission

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The current Head of Mission since 12 June 2023 is Rolf Holmboe.

Previous Heads of Mission were:

  • Antti Juhani Hartikainen (July 2019 – May 2023)
  • Kestutis Lancinskas[7] (February 2016 – May 2019)
  • Kálmán Mizsei (August 2014 – January 2016)

Field Offices

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When the Mission was launched in 2014, it operated from its HQ in Kyiv. As the activities were expanding and number of projects carried out by EUAM Ukraine in the regions increased, two Field Offices (FO) - in Kharkiv and Lviv - were established. In 2018, field office in Odesa and a Mobile Unit that operates across the country were added to support EUAM commitments in the regions. A second Mobile Unit that operated in Mariupol was established in 2019,[8] which, in June 2020, transformed into EUAM Field Office Mariupol to solidify EUAM's expanding activities in the east of Ukraine.[9]

Due to Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, the Mission’s field offices in Kharkiv and Mariupol are temporarily non-operational.

Main interlocutors

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Main achievements

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Some of key EUAM Ukraine achievements in the Civilian Security Sector reform include contributing to:

  • drafting strategic documents (among them Law on National Security, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine's Development Strategy 2020, Witness Protection Program, Security Service of Ukraine Reform Concept and Action Plan)
  • introduction of a community policing concept into police work[13]
  • introduction and promotion of a new approach to public order through police training[14][15][16]
  • assistance in development of the Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) programme to help fight serious and organised crime[17]
  • restructuring the work of police criminal investigation departments by merging investigators and operatives etc.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Military and civilian missions and operations". EEAS - European External Action Service - European Commission. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
  2. ^ "Agreement between Ukraine and the EU on EUAM Ukraine status". zakon.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
  3. ^ "The EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine was formed in response to revolution". www.lawsociety.ie. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  4. ^ "EU: Ukraine's civilian security sector should be developed from scratch". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  5. ^ "Reforming police by EU standards: can it be successful". DW.COM (in Ukrainian). 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  6. ^ a b "About Us". EUAM Ukraine. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  7. ^ "National Police fares well while SBU still unreformed". KyivPost. 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  8. ^ "Field Offices". EUAM Ukraine. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  9. ^ "Mariupol — EUAM Ukraine". Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  10. ^ "EU refurbishes 20 community-friendly police stations across Ukraine". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  11. ^ "Where is Ukraine's new police force?". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  12. ^ "Reform of state security service gets lost in bureaucratic maze". KyivPost. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  13. ^ "Less staff sitting in offices: How a German helps reform Ukrainian police". DW.COM (in Ukrainian). 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  14. ^ "The IV training session on public order issues held by EUAM for the leadership of the National Police of Ukraine". www.naiau.kiev.ua. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  15. ^ "Together with people and EU: new police reform". DW.COM (in Ukrainian). 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  16. ^ "EUAM Ukraine trained over 5000 police officers in 3 years". www.eurointegration.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  17. ^ "Ukrainian law-enforcers learn EUROPOL's methods". yur-gazeta.com (in Ukrainian). 2017-06-15. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  18. ^ "Progress in reform". EUAM Ukraine. 2017-05-23. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
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