EUTI: ZIF partner of new EU training initiative

This week, the first partner meeting of the consortium of the new EU Training Initiative (EUTI) took place in Brussels.

EUTI brings together 15 civilian, police, and military training institutions from EU member states, including  ZIF. Its secretariat is based at the Slovenian partner Center for European Perspective and coordinates the work of the initiative. EUTI's aim is to create synergies and offer needs-based, high-quality, up-to-date and Europe-wide standardized training courses for operational personnel.

Civilian crisis management is an important foreign policy tool in the European Union’s toolbox. Since 2003, the European External Action Service has already deployed over 40 missions and operations, currently maintaining 21 active missions - 12 civilian, 8 military, and 1 civilian-military initiative, together deploying more than 4500 professionals in political affairs, human rights, security sector reform, counterterrorism, strategic communication, environmental and cultural heritage protection, cybersecurity and more.

he European Union Training Initiative (EUTI) supports the commitments outlined in the Civilian CSDP Compact and the 2024 Policy on CSDP Training, recognising continuous training of mission personnel as a key prerequisite for the successful completion of mission mandates. It strives to provide standardised, high-quality, need-based, and tailor-made pre-mission and in-mission training courses, as well as specialised conferences on emerging topics.

With this initiative, the EUTI partners aim to meet demand with tailor-made preparatory and specialization courses, including directly in missions, provide advice and support at EU level on the harmonization and certification of training courses to ensure uniform training quality, and stimulate innovation with methods, modules, topics, etc.

Since its foundation, the ZIF has participated in national, European, and international initiatives in the field of operational training in order to set standards, further develop quality, and support specialist personnel in the field. The ZIF was also involved in previous initiatives, including in responsible roles. In addition, it coordinates the national training partner platform in Germany with the German Armed Forces, federal and state police forces. The entire range of training courses offered by the ZIF can be found in the training calendar.