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1993-2000: Background
The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) was introduced as a pillar of the EU by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993, based on the earlier 1970 European Political Cooperation (EPC). The CFSP was to include ‘all questions related to the security of the Union, including the eventual framing of a common defence policy, which might in time lead to a common defence’.

In December 1998 the Franco-British Saint-Malo declaration stated that the EU ‘must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises’. This marked a British change of course, as it previously had blocked any development of EU autonomous military capabilities.

At the European Council in Cologne in June 1999 the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) - formed in 1996 as a project between Western European Union's (WEU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) - was transfererred to the EU and renamed the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The main goal of this newly established CSDP was to deal with crisis management outside EU territory.

2001: Creation
In 2000 and 2001 the Political and Security Committee (PSC), the EU Military Committee (EUMC) and the EUMS were established. The EUMS's primary task was to be the working and advisory body of the EU Military Committee. Since the Military Committee was a Council body, the EUMS was placed at the General Secretariat of the Council. In 2003 the Treaty of Nice provided the ESDP's legal foundation, in terms of competences, organization, structures and assets.

2009: Transfer from the Council to the External Action Service
The Treaty of Lisbon entered into force in 2009, establishing the European External Action Service (EEAS) - the EU's diplomatic service, formed by a merger of the external relations departments of the Council and relevant international relations departments of the European Commission. All the CSDP structures, including the EUMS, were moved from the General Council Secretariat to become part of the EEAS. The EUMS was placed within the EEAS structure as a special Directorate-General (DG) with a direct link to the High Representative. The EUMS was thus transferred from a Council body to a hybrid council-commission body.

2016: Establishment of the MPCC
In 2016 European Union Global Strategy, intended to be the future guideline for Europe’s security and defence policy, was presented by HR Federica Mogherini and welcomed by the European Council. The implementation of this strategy included the establishment of the MPCC, expanding the role of the EUMS in terms of commanding operations.