European Maritime Force
| Euromarfor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1995–present |
| Country |  France Italy Portugal Spain |
| Allegiance |
 NATO
|
| Branch | Navy |
| Type | Rapid reaction force |
| Motto(s) | At Sea for Peace |
The European Maritime Force (Euromarfor or EMF) is a non-standing, military force with the current participation of France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The force may carry out naval, air and amphibious operations, with an activation time of 5 days after an order is received.
The force was formed in 1995 to fulfill missions defined in the Petersberg Declaration, such as sea control, humanitarian missions, peacekeeping operations, crisis response operations, and peace enforcement.
Dedicated in priority to the European Union (EU), the force can be deployed either in a NATO environment, acting as part of the European branch of NATO, or acting upon the mandate of other international organizations, such as United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or any other international entity.
In June 1992, the Petersberg tasks were set out, defining which potential missions that could be assumed by the Western European Union in the new post-Cold War situation. Consequently, the identification of forces needed to carry out such missions was required.
The following September a ministerial meeting between the governments of Spain, Portugal, France and Italy resolved their willingness to create an international maritime force. This led to the signing of the constitutive document of the European Maritime Force in Lisbon on 15 May 1995. The force came into existence on 2 October 1995, with the appointment of the Spanish Admiral Acedo Manteola (then Alflot) as its first commander.
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Wikipedia