251 Miguel A. Acosta Sánchez Regarding the scope of competence of peacekeeping... According to this description, multifunctional operations are peace-making ope-rations to which peacekeeping elements are added, strengthening the comprehensive approach. Therefore, there are actions in which participate not only military elements but also police and diplomatic units39, with the aim of supervising and verifying the ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops, electoral processes, protection of human rights and assistance to civil administration. This seems to entail that the current peacekeeping operations would not be characterized by the nature of their components – military or civilians – but rather by their competence scope and the objectives to be reached. Finally, in 2015, the “Report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Opera-tions: on uniting our strengths for peace: politics, partnership and people”40, was adopted, containing a clearly comprehensive vision of crisis management. The said Report gi-ves a more realistic view of “peace operations”, a wider and more multidimensional concept than the traditionally used “peacekeeping operations”. Furthermore, coope-ration with regional entities is advocated, as is sharing strengths in the name of peace and security. Political design and execution of peace operations and a more flexible use of them is specifically upheld. On the other hand, the prevention and mediation of conflicts is supported, as are the protection of civilians and more clarity in the authorization of the use of force; and, finally, the Report advocates better preparation, more clearer mandates, and the sharing of advantages among all actors in the area of peacekeeping and security, encouraging the participation of regional International Organizations. PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION – THE PETERSBERG OPERATIONS In the case of the EU, its clear will to play a more active role in international pea-cekeeping and security issues had its turning point with the crises in Yugoslavia that wracked the European continent in the final decade of the past century. In fact, the dismemberment of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo crisis evidenced the lack of an infras-tructure adequate for grave crises situations in the territory affected. In meeting this challenge, and beginning with the Cologne European Council in June of 1999, the EU decided to develop those aspects of its foreign policy most related to security through the Common Security and Defense Policy (hereinafter CSDP), as a mechanism provi-ding capabilities of prevention of conflicts and of crisis management. 39 In fact, “An Agenda for Peace” specifically says that “Peace-keeping is the deployment of a United Nations military and/or police personnel frequently civilians as well”. UN Doc. A/47/277-S/2411, op. cit., párr. 20. 40 UN Doc. A/70/95 – S/2015/446, of 06.17.2015. See UN Doc. S/2015/682, Report of the Secretary General on the future of the UN peacekeeping operations: application of the recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on peacekeeping operations of 09.02.2015, available at http://www.securitycouncilreport. org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2015_446.pdf. Revista del Instituto Español de Estudios Estratégicos n.º 12 - Año: 2018 - Págs.: 239 a 272
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