In the early 2000s, in the context of the European Security Strategy (2003) and in line with the Helsinki headline goals, the EU member states have agreed to create a European special rapid reaction force, able to undertake a large spectrum of tasks (the Petersberg tasks listed in article 43.1 of the TEU) to prevent and manage crises abroad: the EU Battlegroups (EUBG). As a result, the EU now disposes within its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) toolbox of eighteen EUBGs, each of them comprising either about 1,500 or about 2,500 men of di erent nationalities, quickly deployable (between 5 and 10 days) and self-sustainable for at least 30 days (even 120 days if correctly sustained)…