The EU operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina — Operation "Althea" — was established in December 2004, under the authority of UN Security Council Resolution 1575 of 22 November 2004, to replace the NATO-led Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR). Ireland has participated in EUFOR since December 2004, having previously been a participant in SFOR since 1997.
The resolution authorised the establishment of a multinational stabilisation force (EUFOR), for an initial period of 12 months, as a legal successor to SFOR. On 20 November 2008, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1845 (2008) renewing EUFOR's mandate for a further period of 12 months.
The EU Defence Ministers General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting held in Brussels in November 2008, which I attended, focused on the future of Operation ALTHEA. At this meeting, Defence Ministers discussed four possible options in relation to the future of the Operation. However, there was a particular focus on progressing the preferred option of Member States, the transition to a support and training operation — advisory role only and it was agreed that this option should be explored in more detail. This mission will involve some 200 personnel, mainly military specialists.
It is expected that the EUFOR mission will commence transition in March with the phased drawdown of EUFOR. This process should be completed by June, 2009. With the closure of EUFOR, the Defence Forces contingent will be withdrawn. Should the decision to transition be deferred for any reason, I will obviously have to look at the issue again in the context of the outlook for the mission and the resources available to Defence. There are no plans for the Defence Forces to participate in the follow-on mission.