Updated: 13 June, 2005

European Union

• Medals of the European Union (Megan C. Robertson)

• (Image courtesy Antonio Prieto Barrio)

  EUROFOR Service Medal was established in Jan 00 to reward persons for the service they have provided to EUROFOR. Awarding rules are as follows: The EUROFOR Service Medal may be awarded by COMEUROFOR to any deserving  person (military or civilian) belonging to the permanent EUROFOR HQ or to an  augmentee from one of the national delegations who has been committed in an  operation with EUROFOR. The agreement and the wearing of the medal depend on the national rules. The rewarded person has to be appointed to EUROFOR HQ or to an affiliated  unit for at least one year or. As far as an operational deployment is  concerned, the minimum tour of duty is either 21 consecutive days or 30  cumulative days with an outstanding overall performance. For persons appointed to EUROFOR for more than 3 years, the medal is may  be awarded to a person A person committed to a theatre of operation may be rewarded only if he is  a national of EUROFOR member states. The medal may be rewarded posthumously to a person fulfilling the normal  conditions to be rewarded, or to a killed-in-operation person who has not  served during the required minimum time. The medal may be awarded to a person who must shorten his normal  appointment due to injury or sickness and so does not serve during the  required minimum time. Normally, the medal is handed over before the nominated person leaves  EUROFOR or after 3 years when his appointment to EUROFOR is longer than 3  years. If it is not possible, the medal will be forwarded to him by his  national authority. In addition to the above conditions, COMEUROFOR, on his own, may reward a  deserving person. The EUROFOR Service Medal cannot be awarded to a person who had a serious  misbehaviour. DESCRIPTION OF EUROFOR MEDAL The medal is silver alloy suspended from ribbon bearing violet and gold  representing the EUROFOR localisation in Florence The design on the observe is the stylisation of the EUROFOR coat of arms The reserve carries a raised outline relief of the map of four counties Note: Does anyone have an image of this Medal? This is not the medal we see refered to as WEU Medal. (Ref: Antonio Prieto) (Dec 02)

• EU Begins Military Mission in Macedonia The 15-nation bloc mounted its first military operation by taking over peacekeeping duties from NATO. The EU operation is still closely linked to NATO. Its commander, German Adm. Rainer Feist, also is deputy commander of NATO forces in Europe, and planning for the operation was done at NATO headquarters. France has provided half the manpower, while the 14 other EU countries and 11 aspiring members have sent smaller contingents. The mission, dubbed Concordia, is to last about six months. Like the NATO troops it is replacing, the EU force of 320 soldiers and 80 civilians will operate in small units spread across a land still scarred emotionally from the war. The Associated Press Apr 03

• WEU Official Website

• ICFY - International Conference on Former Yugoslavia Medal ribbon.

• Official WEU Website

• European Security and Defense Policy Service Medal  Recently presented to soldiers from all 26 contributing countries who served in Operation "Concordia" in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

• The European Defense and Security Medal is awarded to all participants in European Union operations. The 33mm medal features a circle of 12 stars from the flag of the European Union, with an otherwise blank center on its obverse. The reverse contains the inscription, PRO PACE UNUM on three lines. The medal is awarded with a 36mm by 4mm clasp containing the name of the mission. Clasps include: CONCORDIA (Macedonia), ARTEMIS (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and EUPM (European Union Police Mission). Ref: Ed Emering Dec 03

• Unknown Medal The medal has been identified as The European Medal, created by the Federation des Combattants Allies en Europe (FCAEE) (Federation of Allied Combatants of Europe). This society was created in 1968 in order to "maintain the camaraderie and friendly relationships which were formed in combat, between former allied combatants, resistance members and deportees. The medal itself is destined as a reward for services in furthering peace in Europe and has 3 classes. The one in the picture, sporting a ribbon star, is the 2nd class. The (The Allied Forces in Europe Veterans' Federation) was created in France in 1968.

• European Union CEPOL Civil Crisis Management Medal It appears that this medal is awarded to students who successfully complete a modular training course, run by senior officers from the Secretariat for the European Police College (CEPOL). The aim of the course is to equip senior officers with the qualifications and certification necessary for them to be selected to help police areas of Europe where law and order has broken down due to ethnic conflict. If you can provide any additional  information on this medal, email me

• European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal (ESDP) Canada has accepted The European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal for wear by Canadian recipients. The medal was established on 1 January 2003 to provide recognition to those who serve in EU-led crisis management operations. The medal is always awarded with a bar to denote the mission for which it has been awarded as follows:.  EUPM for service with the EU Police Mission in Bosnia from 1 January 2003. Six Canadian police officers have been awarded the medal with this bar, five from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and one from the Service de Police de la Communauté Urbaine de Montréal. ARTEMIS for service with the European military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 12 June and 1 September 2003. The CF sent 2 CC-130 Hercules with support staff in the summer of 2003 to assist this mission by providing airlift from Entebbe, Uganda to Bunia in the DRC under the Canadian operation name CARAVAN. 53 CF members have been awarded this bar. CONCORDIA for service with the EU military operation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia between 31 March and 15 December 2003. The CF had one staff officer, LCol J.M.R. Moreau, on this mission which had the Canadian operation name FUSION and he received this bar to the Medal. PROXIMA for service with the European Union Police Mission in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from 15 December 2003 (no Canadian recipient to date). ALTHEA for service with the European Union Force (EUFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 2 December 2004. Op BOREAS is the CF contribution to this operation, 69 CF members have been awarded this bar to date. A total of 129 Canadians have received this medal with various bars. The medal is accompanied by a certificate.

• EUROFOR - EUROFOR Medal - Established as an award for personnel who have served at EUROFOR Headquarters in Florence, Italy for a period of 1 year, Further years of service will be denoted by an Arabic number (presently under consideration). The medal is made of silver alloy and the ribbon is violet and gold, the colour of Florence. The Obverse of the medal contains the EUROFOR Coat-of-Arms, while the reverse has a raised map of Spain, France, Portugal and Italy. A gold fleur de lys is embroidered into the undress ribbon. Image and information courtesy of Antonio Prieto Barrio Jun 05