Operation Artemis: the shape of things to come?

Operation Artemis, carried out in the Democratic Republic of Congo from June to September 2003 on the request of the United Nations, was the European Union's first independently launched military operation and its first operation in Africa. France, supported by Britain, was the driving political force working to secure EU engagement as well as the main military contributor to the operation. This article argues that Franco-British cooperation has been the main engine in the development of both EU military cooperation in general and of the EU's role in African security. Moreover, it argues that Operation Artemis will set a precedent for future EU autonomous operations.