The main objective of EPLO's Ad-hoc Working Group on the European External Action Service (EEAS) is to ensure that conflict prevention and peacebuilding have a prominent place within the EEAS.

To achieve this, EPLO is drawing attention to the need for the EEAS to have the institutional capacity and set-up to fulfil the EU's commitments to peacebuilding and conflict prevention, providing analysis and policy recommendations and fostering dialogue among civil society organisations and relevant EU institutions.  

For more information about the Ad-hoc Group on the EEAS, please contact Josephine Liebl.

Recent Publications

• The EEAS and Peacebuilding One Year on (April 2012)

• Power Analysis: The EU and Peacebuilding after Lisbon (November 2011)

• Strengthening EU Policy and Guidance on Conflict Prevention (June 2011)

• Discussion Paper on the Review of the Gothenburg Programme for the Prevention of Violent Conflict (March 2011)

• Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding inside the European External Action Service (February 2011)

• Towards a Peacebuilding Strategy for the European External Action Service (August 2010)

• Putting Peace at the Heart of the European External Action Service (January 2010)

• The EU as a Global Force for Good: Peace at the Heart of the European External Action Service (October 2009)

Recent Activities

• On 13 March 2012, EPLO together with its Spanish member organisation Toledo International Centre for Peace (CITpax) organised a conference entitled 'EU Common Foreign and Security Policy as a Peacebuilding Tool' which took place in Madrid, Spain. Click here to download the final agenda and meeting report of this Civil Society Dialogue Network event.

• On 6 December 2011, the Working Group on Peace and Development (FriEnt) and EPLO organised an expert roundtable discussion entitled 'Towards a Strategic Framework for European Union Support to Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding?' which took place in Berlin. Click here to download the invitation and here to read a report of the discussion (only available in German).

• On 7 November 2011, EPLO together with its French member organisation ESSEC IRÉNÉ organised a panel discussion entitled 'Assessing the Peacebuilding Potential of CFSP and CSDP after the Lisbon Treaty' which took place in Paris, France. Click here to download the final agenda and meeting report of this Civil Society Dialogue Network event.

• On 14 March 2011, EPLO was invited to provide evidence in a hearing at the German Bundestag on experiences and perspective of NGOs regarding civilian conflict prevention. Click here for the agenda of the hearing and here to download EPLO's written contribution (both documents are only available in German).

• On 7 February 2011, EPLO together with its Finnish member organisations CMI and KATU organised a conference on 'Conflict Prevention and the European Union' which took place in Helsinki, Finland. Click here to download the final agenda and meeting report of this Civil Society Dialogue Network event.

• On 29 June 2010, EPLO, the Parlamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security and the office of Heidi Hautala MEP jointly organised a panel discussion on 'Conflict Prevention and the European External Action Service' in the European Parliament in Brussels. Click here to download an article about the event by Heidi Hautala MEP. Click here to download a report of the event from the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security.

• On 18 March 2010, EPLO's Executive Director, Catherine Woollard, gave a presentation to the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights on EPLO's recommendations for the establishment of the EEAS. Click here to watch the presentation (starts at 10:24:23).

• On 8 February 2010, EPLO hosted its second roundtable meeting on the EEAS. Click here to download a report of the meeting.

• On 11 September 2009, EPLO hosted its first roundtable meeting on the EEAS. Click here to download a report of the meeting.

Other Documents

• Civil Society Expectations of the European External Action Service (EPLO-CONCORD-HRDN-VOICE - September 2008)

• Human Rights and Peacebuilding Recommendations on the European External Action Service (EPLO-HRDN - August 2008)

• Peacebuilding and the Lisbon Treaty (August 2008)