View source for European Union Military Committee

{{Short description|EU body composed of member states' Chiefs of Defence}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = European Union Military Committee
| native_name                   = 
| command_structure             = 
| image                         = Coat of arms of the European Union Military Committee.svg
| image_size                    = 150px
| alt                           = 
| caption                       = Coat of arms
| disbanded                     = 
| country                       = 
| countries                     = 
| allegiance                    = {{EU}}
| type                          = 
| role                          = 
| size                          = 
| garrison                      = [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]]
| garrison_label                = Location
| march                         = 
| anniversaries                 = 
| battles                       = 
| dates                         = December 2000–present
| decorations                   = 
| website                       = [https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage_en/5428/European%20Union%20Military%20Committee%20(EUMC) europa.eu]
<!-- Commanders -->| current_commander             = 
| commander1                    = [[Kaja Kallas]]
| commander1_label              = [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|High Repr.]]
| commander2                    = General [[Seán Clancy (Irish general)|Seán Clancy]]
| commander2_label              = [[Chairman of the European Union Military Committee|Chairman]]
| commander3                    = 
| commander3_label              = 
| commander4                    = 
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| commander5                    = 
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| commander6                    = 
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| commander8                    = 
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| commander9                    = 
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| notable_commanders            = <!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = [[File:Flag of the European Union Military Committee.svg|border|100px]]
| identification_symbol_label   = Flag
| identification_symbol_2       = [[File:Coat of arms of Europe.svg|100x100px]]
| identification_symbol_2_label = [[Chairman of the European Union Military Committee|Chairman]]'s arms
}}
The '''Military Committee of the European Union''' ('''EUMC''') is the body of the [[European Union]]'s (EU) [[Common Security and Defence Policy]] that is composed of [[Member state of the European Union|member states]]' [[Chief of Defence|Chiefs of Defence]] (CHOD). These national CHODs are regularly represented in the EUMC in Brussels by their permanent Military Representatives (MilRep), who often are two- or three-star flag officers.

The EUMC is under the authority of the EU's [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|High Representative]] (HR) and the [[Political and Security Committee]] (PSC).

==History==
The EUMC was established in December 2000 by the European Council of [[Nice]]. It is one of several defence and security-related bodies established as a result of the [[Helsinki Headline Goal]], which was decided in December 1999.

==Function==
The EUMC gives military advice to the EU's [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|High Representative]] (HR) and [[Political and Security Committee]] (PSC). The EUMC also oversees the [[European Union Military Staff]] (EUMS).

{{MS MC HRVP relationship}}

===Role in command and control of missions===
{{Further|Command and control structure of the European Union}}
{{European Union command and control structure}}

==Current EU Chiefs of Defence==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; line-height:16px;"
|-
|style="width:150px;background-color:#2549a5" |{{ font color | #ffffff | '''<big>Member</big>'''}}
| style="width:150px;background-color:#2549a5" |{{ font color | #ffffff |'''<big>CHOD</big>'''}}
| style="width:150px;background-color:#2549a5" |{{ font color | #ffffff | '''<big>Member</big>'''}}
| style="width:150px;background-color:#2549a5" |{{ font color | #ffffff |'''<big>CHOD</big>'''}}
|style="width:150px;background-color:#2549a5" |{{ font color | #ffffff | '''<big>Member</big>'''}}
| style="width:150px;background-color:#2549a5" |{{ font color | #ffffff |'''<big>CHOD</big>'''}}
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Austria|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the General Staff (Austria)|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Austria]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Rudolf Striedinger Kunstversteigerung zugunsten der Kinderburg Rappottenstein (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Major General</small><br />'''{{ill|Rudolf Striedinger|de}}'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Austria}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Belgium|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of Defence (Belgium)|Chief of Defence]] of</small><br />'''[[Belgium]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:F16 Quick Reaction Force Benelux (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Frederik Vansina]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{air force|Belgium}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Bulgaria|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the Defence (Bulgaria)|Chief of Defence]] of</small><br />'''[[Bulgaria]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Admiral Emil Eftimov, Bulgaria Chief of the Defense, at the Pentagon on January 11, 2024 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Admiral</small><br />'''[[Emil Eftimov]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{navy|Bulgaria}}</small>
|-

|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Croatia|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (Croatia)|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Croatia]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:The NATO Chief of Defence of Croatia Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid at the 191st Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Colonel general</small><br />'''[[Tihomir Kundid]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Croatia}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Cyprus|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the National Guard General Staff|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Cyprus]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Emblem of the Cypriot National Guard.svg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Lieutenant General</small><br />'''[[Georgios Tsitsikostas]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Cyprus}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Czech Republic|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the General Staff (Czech Republic)|Chief of the General Staff]] of the </small><br />'''[[Czech Republic]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Lieutenant General Karel Řehka, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, at the Pentagon on February 27, 2024 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Lieutenant General</small><br />'''[[Karel Řehka]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Znak Ředitelství speciálních sil.png|size=18px}} [[Czech Special Forces]]</small>
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Denmark|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of Defence (Denmark)|Chief of Defence]] of</small><br />'''[[Denmark]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard DVIDS7231908 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Major General</small><br />'''''[[Michael Hyldgaard]]'''''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Denmark}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Estonia|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces|Commander of the Defence Forces]] of</small><br />'''[[Estonia]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Andrus Merilo 2024 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Major General</small><br />'''[[Andrus Merilo]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Estonia}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Finland|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of Defence (Finland)|Chief of Defence]] of</small><br />'''[[Finland]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:General Janne Jaakkola, Finland Chief of Defense, 2025 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Janne Jaakkola]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Suomen Maavoimien tunnus.svg|size=18px}} [[Finnish Army]]</small>
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|France|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the Defence Staff (France)|Chief of the Defence Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[France]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:General Thierry Burkhard, French Chief of the Defence Staff, at the École Militaire in Paris, France participates in a Military Honors Ceremony on June 5, 2024 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Thierry Burkhard]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Logo of the French Army (Armee de Terre).svg|size=25px}} [[French Army]]</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Germany|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Inspector General of the Bundeswehr]] of</small><br />'''[[Germany]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Carsten Breuer 2025 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Carsten Breuer]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Germany}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Greece|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Hellenic National Defence General Staff#The Chief of the HNDGS|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Greece]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Hellenic National Defence General Staff Seal.svg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''{{ill|Dimitrios Choupis|el|Δημήτριος Χούπης}}'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Greece}}</small>
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Hungary|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of General Staff (Hungary)|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Hungary]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Gábor Böröndi (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Colonel General</small><br />'''[[Gábor Böröndi]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Hungary}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Ireland|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (Ireland)|Chief of Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy.jpg|137x137px]]<br />Lieutenant General<br />'''[[Rossa Mulcahy]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Ireland}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Italy|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the Defence Staff (Italy)|Chief of the Defence Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Italy]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Generale CA Luciano Portolano mr.jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Luciano Portolano]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Italy}}</small>
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Latvia|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Commander of the Joint Headquarters (Latvia)|Commander of the Armed Forces]] of</small><br />'''[[Latvia]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Kaspars Pudāns 2024 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Major General</small><br />'''[[Kaspars Pudāns]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Latvian National Guard emblem.svg|size=18px}} [[Latvian National Guard]]</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Lithuania|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of Defence (Lithuania)|Chief of Defence]] of</small><br />'''[[Lithuania]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Gen. Raimundas Vaikšnoras official portrait (2024).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Raimundas Vaikšnoras]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Lithuania}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Luxembourg|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of Defence (Luxembourg)|Chief of Defence]] of</small><br />'''[[Luxembourg]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Journée de la commémoration nationale 2021 (131) Steve Thull (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Steve Thull]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Luxembourg}}</small>
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Malta|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta|Commander of the Armed Forces]] of</small><br />'''[[Malta]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Coat of arms Armed forces of Malta.svg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Brigadier</small><br />'''[[Clinton J. O'Neill]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of Malta.svg|size=18px}} [[Armed Forces of Malta]]</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Netherlands|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of Defence (Netherlands)|Chief of Defence]] of the</small><br />'''[[Netherlands]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Portretfoto Onno Eichelsheim (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Onno Eichelsheim]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{air force|Netherlands}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Poland|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Polish General Staff|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Poland]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Lieutenant General Wiesław Kukuła (Wieslaw Kukula), Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces at the Pentagon, USA on November 2, 2023 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Wiesław Kukuła]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|PL territorial defence force flag IIIRP.svg|size=21px}} [[Territorial Defence Force (Poland)|Polish Territorial Defence Forces]]</small>
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Portugal|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Armed Forces General Staff (Portugal)#Chief of the General Staff|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Portugal]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:General José Nunes da Fonseca (Agência Lusa).png|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''{{ill|José Nunes da Fonseca|pt}}'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Portugal}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Romania|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the Romanian General Staff|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Romania]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Gheorghiță Vlad (Gheorghita Vlad) (2024) (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Gheorghiță Vlad]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Romania}}</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Slovakia|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the General Staff (Slovakia)|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Slovakia]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Generálmajor Daniel Zmeko.jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Lieutenant General</small><br />'''[[Daniel Zmeko]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Slovak Army Roundel.svg|size=18px}} [[Ground Forces of the Slovak Republic|Slovak Ground Forces]]</small>
|-
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Slovenia|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the General Staff (Slovenia)|Chief of the General Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Slovenia]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Sign of Slovenian Army.svg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Brigadier</small><br />'''{{ill|Dean Groff|sl}}'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of the Slovenian Armed Forces.svg|size=21px}} [[Slovenian Ground Force]]</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Spain|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Chief of the Defence Staff (Spain)|Chief of the Defence Staff]] of</small><br />'''[[Spain]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:(Teodoro Esteban López Calderón) 180616-N-MZ309-213 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>Admiral General</small><br />'''[[Teodoro Esteban López Calderón]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{flagicon image|Naval jack of Spain.svg|size=18px}} [[Spanish Navy]]</small>
|style="width:150px;"|  {{Flagicon|Sweden|size=x50px}}<br /><br /><small>[[Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces|Supreme Commander]] of</small><br />'''[[Sweden]]'''
|style="width:150px;"| [[File:Lieutenant General Michael Claesson, Chief of the Defense Staff, Armed Forces of Sweden, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. on January 22, 2024 (cropped).jpg|137x137px]]<br /><small>General</small><br />'''[[Michael Claesson]]'''<br /><small>of the<br />{{army|Sweden}}</small>
|-
|}

==Chairman==
{{Main|Chairman of the European Union Military Committee}}
[[File:Seán Clancy.jpg|thumb|General [[Seán Clancy (Irish general)|Seán Clancy]] has been serving as EUMC Chairman since the 1<sup>st</sup> of June 2025.]]
The EUMC is chaired by a [[General Officer]], [[Admiral]], or [[Air Officer]] of four-star level (i.e. NATO [[Ranks and insignia of NATO|OF-9]] equivalent), who is selected by the Chiefs of Defence and appointed by the [[Council of the European Union]]. For a term of three years the chairman is the spokesperson for the EUMC. He participates in PSC meetings as appropriate, he is the military adviser to the [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy]] (HR) who heads the EEAS [[European External Action Service]], he represents the primary point of contact with the Operation Commanders of the EU's military operations, and he attends Council meetings with defence and security implications.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/eeas/security-defence/csdp-structures-and-instruments/eu-military-committee-(eumc)/chairman-eumc?lang=en |title=CONSILIUM - Chairman EUMC |website=www.consilium.europa.eu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126191751/http://www.consilium.europa.eu/eeas/security-defence/csdp-structures-and-instruments/eu-military-committee-(eumc)/chairman-eumc?lang=en |archive-date=2011-11-26}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|European Union}}
*[[Common Security and Defence Policy]]
*[[European External Action Service]]
*[[Military of the European Union]]
*[[Political and Security Committee]]
*[[European Union Military Staff]]
*[[NATO Military Committee]]

A [[NATO Military Committee|similar committee]] also exists within the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organisation]] (NATO). Those countries which are members of both EU and NATO have in most cases chosen to use the same MilRep in both organisations.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://eeas.europa.eu/topics/crisis-response/5392/csdp-structure-instruments-and-agencies_en CSDP structure, instruments, and agencies], EEAS website
* Mai'a K. Davis Cross: [http://mil.sagepub.com/content/42/1/45.full "The Military Dimension of European Security: An Epistemic Community Approach."] (2013) Millennium Journal of International Studies, 42(1): 45–64.

{{Common Security and Defence Policy}}

[[Category:European Union Military Committee| ]]
[[Category:2000 in the European Union]]
[[Category:European External Action Service| ]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of the European Union]]
[[Category:European Union security policy]]
[[Category:Military of the European Union]]
[[Category:Common Security and Defence Policy]]