The Council of the European Union has approved a three-year mission to advise and train Lebanon’s armed forces and internal security services, focusing on border control, maritime security, and counter-smuggling.
The European Union Support Mission in Lebanon (EUSM Lebanon) will combine military and civilian teams under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy.
Establishing the mission is a preparatory step toward deployment.
Operational planning will continue, and the Council must adopt a separate decision before the mission can begin operating.
Border Control and Internal Security
Military personnel will advise and train the Lebanese Armed Forces to monitor land borders, ensure maritime security, and coordinate operations.
Their work will also cover intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Civilian specialists will assist the Internal Security Forces with operational training, including cybercrime investigations and anti-smuggling activities.
They will also help develop training structures that Lebanese personnel can sustain over time.
Another part of the civilian mandate will address how port security is managed, including at the Port of Beirut.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the mission would help Lebanese institutions strengthen territorial control and border security as part of efforts to restore the state’s full sovereignty.
EUSM Lebanon will also complement assistance financed through the European Peace Facility and coordinate with EU member states, the United Nations, and other international partners supporting Lebanon’s security institutions.
UNIFIL’s Planned Withdrawal
The EU decision comes as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon approaches the end of its mandate on December 31, 2026, following a Security Council decision last year.
The force has roughly 7,500 personnel drawn from nearly 50 countries.
Kallas has cautioned that leaving no force in place could create a monitoring gap for the US-backed ceasefire arrangements Israel and Lebanon agreed to in June.
