The Centre for European Perspective and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the Second Module of the ESDP Training Programme for SAP Countries in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from May 17 to May 22, 2009.

Slovenia in cooperation with Austria, Germany and Hungary established the "ESDP Training Programme for SAP Countries" in 2006, which is designed to stretch over the period of three years and to encompass three modules annually. Slovenia organized the second module for the third year in a row. The aim of Module 2 is to inform participants about the development of civilian and military capabilities (status quo and future challenges), including aspects of the Civilian Headline Goal 2008 and the Headline Goal 2010; EU crisis management, including Crisis Management Procedures; civil-military co-operation; Security Sector Reform (SSR); the specific (exemplary) operations, lessons learnt and the legal framework for operations, as well as training and exercises in the area of ESDP of European security and defence.

Module was attended by 25 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, who work for Ministries of Defence, Interior, Justice and Foreign Affairs.

Apart from renowned Slovenian and international experts from civilian, military and academic sphere, the module also included the visit of the EUPM (European Union Police Mission) headquarters, where the Head of Mission, Brigadier General Stefan Feller addressed the participants with a lecture. He sees a great challenge regarding the issues of civilian crisis management in readiness for participation by member states. He also mentioned the discrepancy, which often occurs between what the countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs promise and what then the Ministries of Interior are actually able to fulfil. He also sees some deficiency regarding the missions in the lack of strategic planning, but also in the training, which is not systematized. However, he is optimistic because conflicts are decreasing in the region and feels that 'change' is also the motor of their operations.

Antti Haikio of EULEX Kosovo said that a mission can only be effective when both EU as well as national level are successful. ESDP has been operating for six years only and EU certainly needs help and support in this regard, but is also the fastest learning organization. He believes that new operations need operational credibility, not only political credibility. He also called upon member states to address the issue of assuring civilian personnel more seriously, since the Civilian Headline Goal determined a goal of 12.000 personnel available, but there are only 1200 at the moment, which is 10 times less. Dr Heinz Vetschera of Peace Support Operations Training Centre, Sarajevo explained how the EU could use the OSCE Framework regarding the security sector reform and also stressed the important role of the member states.

Fabien Limonier of EUFOR Althea gave a very complex mission experience view on the topic of civil-military coordination and cooperation and also stressed the issue of intercultural dialogue approach since many mistakes can be made by mission personnel when entering a culturally different environment.

All experts addressed the topic of ESDP as highly complex, the process of initiating a mission in the EU was described as complicated since it has to go through a lot of proceedings in several bodies until it becomes a legal act. But ESDP on the other hand is perceived as very challenging.