The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) is reinforcing its existing Formed Police Unit (FPU) through the temporary deployment of members of the European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) from France, Italy, Lithuania, and Portugal. These Officers will work shoulder to shoulder with the FPU provided by the Polish Police to fulfil the Mission’s mandate of supporting stability throughout Kosovo and ensuring safety for all communities.

The RFPU will be composed of EUROGENDFOR assets provided by the French Gendarmerie Nationale, Italian Carabinieri, Lithuanian Public Security Service, and Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana.

The RFPU is expected to arrive in Kosovo in the coming days to address the Mission’s need for additional forces on the ground to better support Kosovo counterparts - including acting as Kosovo’s second security responder, if requested and necessary. The RFPU will conduct visible patrolling and contribute to the Mission’s situational awareness.

This will be the fifth deployment of the EULEX RFPU, with the first deployment occurring in March 2022.

EULEX serves as Kosovo’s second security responder within a three-tiered security response mechanism where Kosovo Police is the first security responder, EULEX is the second, and the NATO-led mission KFOR is the third.