Since 2 May 2005, the European Union (EU) has been conducting a mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The current mission statement is set out in Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP and ends on 30 September 2009. With the new Council Joint Action, the support to Security Sector Reform will go on until September 30th 2010.

The EU has consistently supported Security Sector Reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as one of the elements of a more general EU commitment to supporting development and democracy in the African Great Lakes Region, while taking care to promote policies compatible with human rights and international humani­tarian law, democratic standards and the principles of good governance, transparency and respect for the rule of law.

Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP, the first on this subject, has been amended several times in order to boost the mission, in particular by Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP, as last amended by Joint Action 2009/509/CFSP extending the mission until September 30th 2009.

Because of that, to clarify the rules, the Council has adopted a new Joint Action that establishes that EU is conducting a mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the aim of assisting the Congolese authorities in setting up a defence apparatus capable of guaranteeing the security of the Congolese people, while respecting democratic standards, human rights and the rule of law, as well as theprinciples of good governance and transparency.

The purpose of the mission is to contribute, in close coordination with inter­national partners, to creating conditions to facilitate the imple­mentation in the short and medium term of the guidelines adopted by the Congolese authorities in the revised plan for reform of the Armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

For this, the EU has a total of 10,900,000 euros from 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010.