Eurocorps

Participating countries

Five countries participate in the corps as member nations. Additionally, four states are associated, and have thus pledged to contribute personnel to the staff.: Poland was accepted as a member in 2010. This was expected to become effective from 1 January 2016, but was delayed to January 2017. Poland will send around 120 soldiers to Strasbourg. On 25 February 2003, Austria and Finland signed a treaty which allowed them to send staff to the headquarters of the corps. Finland remained an associated nation of the corps until 2005, and Austria until 2011. Romania became an associated nation in April 2016. In addition, the Netherlands and United Kingdom have sent liaison officers to the headquarters of the corps.

Member nations:

Associated nations:

Former associated nations:

Organisation

The European Corps is not subordinate to any other military organisation. It is deployed on the authority of the Common Committee representing the member nations, the Chief of Defense, and the Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This committee considers requests for support from multinational organizations such as the UN, NATO, OSCE or EU. The Corps can also be deployed at the request of the framework nations.

Command structure

The headquarters of the corps is based in Strasbourg near the Franco-German border, the seat of several European institutions. The headquarters contains the following units:

German and French were the official languages at the corps until August 2002. English is now the working language.

Operational Command

The Franco-German Brigade, with 5000 troops, is the only military formation permanently under the operational command of corps. The brigade is stationed in Müllheim, Donaueschingen, Immendingen, Sigmaringen, Meßstetten, Stetten am kalten Markt, Villingen-Schwenningen in Germany and Illkirch-Grafenstaden in France. Additional affiliated formations could be placed under command of the corps headquarters for specific operations, for example in support of EU or NATO rapid-response missions. The five framework countries have earmarked the following units and formations to the corps:

Affiliated units and formations

In addition to the Franco-German Brigade, a number of nations have earmarked units or formations that they have affiliated to the corps HQ. These do not come under the permanent command of corps but rather can be provided to the corps for specific operations. For example,

Except for the Franco-German Brigade and the staff of the Multinational Command Support Brigade (MNCS Bde) who are permanently under operational command of the headquarters, these national contributions remain under national command in peacetime. They can become fully subordinated only after Transfer of Authority has been decided by member states.

The size and type of corps units required in operations depends on the nature and scope of assigned missions, likely deployment and the expected operational outcome. In the case that all earmarked national contributions are committed, the corps would theoretically comprise approximately 60,000.

Deployments

The corps participated in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and led KFOR III in Kosovo from 18 April 2000 to October 2000 and led the ISAF6 Force in Afghanistan from 9 August 2004 to 11 February 2005. From 1 July 2006, to 10 January 2007, the headquarters of the corps was the land component stand by element of the NATO Response Force 7. From 1 July 2010 to 10 January 2011, the headquarters of the corps was the land component stand by element of the NATO Response Force 15 (NRF 15). In 2012, the corps has deployed to ISAF in Afghanistan. In the second semester the Eurocorps is supporting Germany with 57 soldiers in the EU mission EUTM Mali.