The Potential of the European Gendarmerie Force

The European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) is a relatively young international organisation. In October 2007 the governments of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands signed a treaty to formally establish it. At present the following gendarmerie forces cooperate in the EGF: the Dutch Koninklijke Marechaussee, the French Gendarmerie Nationale, the Italian Arma dei Carabinieri, the Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana, the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Romanian Jandarmeria Româna. Although they have different names, all these forces have a dual police-military character.

The European Gendarmerie Force is intended for international policing operations. Its creation has received considerable attention, but no major study seems to have been made thereon. Moreover, within the EGF and in the national capitals no long-term vision seems to have been developed. In this paper will be argued that the EGF has the potential to become (far) more important in international security and that it can become a valuable asset for a larger group of states.

Dr. Michiel de Weger is a researcher at the Netherlands Defence Academy. In 2008 he was commissioned by the Clingendael Institute for three months.