The European Union has reaffirmed its support for the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) as a core tool for early warning and crisis response, while requesting further clarification on proposed structural changes that could affect its mandate. In a statement delivered at the OSCE Permanent Council on 2 July 2026, the EU welcomed CPC Director Kate Fearon's report and stressed the centre's essential role in the current geopolitical context marked by Russia's war against Ukraine.
The EU highlighted the CPC's contributions to the OSCE's Support Programme to Ukraine, which provides assistance across all three dimensions, and praised its efforts in information-sharing and dialogue facilitation. The statement noted the CPC's readiness to explore AI-driven technologies to enhance analytical capacity and called for even greater visibility on specific activities.
However, the EU expressed caution regarding proposals to move the Programme for Education and Security (PESU) to the Central Services branch, leaving the CPC with two core pillars instead of three, while assigning additional coordination responsibilities to the Director. The EU said it would welcome further clarification on the rationale, operational added value, financial implications, and impact on the CPC's role vis-à-vis field operations. "Any structural changes should reinforce, not dilute, the CPC's capacity to deliver on its mandate," the statement read.
The EU underlined that the CPC must be provided with adequate resources through the Unified Budget to carry out its mandate effectively. The statement was aligned with Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, and Ukraine.