JOINT ENTERPRISE

At the end of 2004, coinciding with the end of Operation “Joint Forge” in Bosnia and Herzegovina and with the transfer of responsibilities for military operations from NATO forces (SFOR) to EU forces (EUFOR), NATO authorities decided to re-group all NATO-led operations in the Balkan area into a single operational context (defined by the Joint Operation Area), launching on 5 April 2005 Operation “Joint Enterprise” which included KFOR activities, NATO-EU interaction, and the NATO HQs in Skopje, Tirana and Sarajevo.

In May 2006, the restructuring of the forces located on Kosovo territory started, changing the international military forces in Kosovo from 4 Multinational Brigades to 5 Multinational Task Forces. Despite the gradual cession of responsibilities and the gradual reduction of forces in the theatre, the Joint Enterprise operation in Kosovo currently still involves 30 countries, 23 of which belong to NATO, with a total force commitment that today amounts to about 4000 units. As of 1 March 2011, the KFOR system provides for two Multinational Battle Groups, one of which is Italian-led, and a substantial reserve in which an Italian Carabinieri Regiment is included. Similarly, bodies called JRD’s (Joint Regional Detachment) have been set up with the task of monitoring and liaising with all civil organisations and authorities in the country (municipalities, institutions, populations….). Currently, there are 3 JRD’s in Kosovo.