What is the common security and defence policy?

The EU’s common security and defence policy was launched in 1999 to provide the EU with the capacity to deal with security challenges. Since then, the EU has carried out military and civilian missions in Europe, Africa and Asia. These include conflict monitoring, peacekeeping and tackling piracy. The EU has not taken on any military missions of great scale to date. An EU mission is launched by agreement of all the foreign ministers of EU member states acting as the Foreign Affairs Council. Missions can only be launched by unanimity. The EU does not have its own personnel, so they are contributed by member states.