The EU's police mission in Afghanistan, EUPOL Afghanistan, is to end its mission on 31 December 2016, the European External Action Service (EEAS) stated during the evening of Wednesday 14 December.
The member states had decided in December 2014 to terminate EUPOL's mandate on 31 December 2016 (see EUROPE 11221). The mission has been operating since 2007. In order to prepare the end of EUPOL's mandate, a comprehensive phasing-out plan has been developed, which includes ensuring a sustainable transition of activities to EUPOL's local and international partners.
"EUPOL Afghanistan, working in close partnership with the Afghan government, has achieved concrete progress in several key areas: the professionalisation of the Afghan National Police; the introduction of the community policing concept to Afghanistan; increasing the capacity of the Afghan Ministry of Interior; and bringing Afghan legislation in line with relevant human rights standards", the EEAS said in its press release, adding that the EU remained committed to supporting Afghanistan in the field of civilian policing. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)