European Union civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (EU CSDP) missions were designed as time-limited tools. Yet many persist for years—tying up scarce resources and limiting new deployments. This paper argues that the European Union (EU) needs an updated closure and transition policy to react to new priorities in the absence of matching budget growth.

Civilian CSDP missions have become ‘stuck’ due to rushed and overambitious mandates, weakly defined end-states and strategic reviews that do not enable political decisions beyond routine extensions. Civilian CSDP needs to develop a culture of planned endings by strengthening political steering, and requiring realistic end-states and exit strategies from the start. Closure and transition should also be linked to evidence, partners and funding so that handovers are orderly and sustainable. Staying too long can undermine both the mission’s and EU’s credibility.