Military Planning and Conduct Capability

The Military Staff of the European Union (EUMS) is the directorate-general of the European Union's (EU) External Action Service (EEAS) that contributes to the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) by providing strategic advice to the High Representative (HR/VP) and commanding operations through its Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) operational headquarters. From the end of 2020 the MPCC will also be capable of running executive operations of up to 2500 troops, i.e. the size of one battle group, as well as 3 non-executive missions.The EUMS also reports to the European Union Military Committee (EUMC), representing member states' Chiefs of Defence, and performs "early warning", situation assessment and strategic planning. The EUMS currently consists of 200+ military and civilian personnel, and is located in the Kortenberg building in Brussels.

This article outlines the present structure of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), a part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) based on articles 42–46 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Article 42.2 of TEU states that the CSDP includes the 'progressive framing' of a common Union defence policy, and will lead to a common defence, when the European Council of national heads of state or government, acting unanimously, so decides. The CSDP involves military or civilian missions being deployed to preserve peace, prevent conflict and strengthen international security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Military missions are carried out by EU forces established with contributions from the member states' armed forces. The CSDP also entails collective self-defence amongst member states as well as a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in which 25 of the 28 national armed forces pursue structural integration. The CSDP structure, headed by the Union's High Representative (HR/VP), Josep Borrell Fontelles, comprises: the Defence Industry Directorate-General of the European Commission relevant sections of the External Action Service (EEAS) — including the Military Staff (EUMS) with its so-called Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) a number of Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) preparatory bodies — such as the Military Committee (EUMC) four agencies, including the Defence Agency (EDA)The EU does not have a permanent military command structure along the lines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO), although it has been agreed that ACO resources may be used for the conduct of the EU's CSDP missions. The MPCC, established in 2017 and to be strengthened in 2020, does however represent the EU's first step in developing a permanent military headquarters. In parallel, the newly established European Defence Fund (EDF) marks the first time the EU budget is used to finance multinational defence projects. The CSDP structure is sometimes referred to as the European Defence Union (EDU), especially in relation to its prospective development as the EU's defence arm.Decisions relating to the CSDP are proposed by the HR/VP, adopted by the FAC, generally requiring unanimity, and then implemented by the HR/VP.

The Kortenberg building is the office building of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium that houses most bodies related to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

Jack O'Shea's is an international Irish butcher chain located in London and in the European district of Brussels, selling organic fresh meat. The chain was formerly located in Selfridges, but had its contract terminated in 2012 after breaking the store's ethical code on selling foie gras.

The Schuman-Josaphat tunnel is a 1,250 metres (4,100 ft) double track rail tunnel in Brussels, which entered into service on 4 April 2016. It links line 161 (Brussels-Namur) just after Meiser station and line 26 (Halle-Vilvoorde) at the Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark tunnel just before Schuman station. The line is numbered L161A. A key component of the Brussels RER project, it passes beneath avenue Plasky/Plaskylaan, place de Jamblinne de Meux/Jamblinne de Meuxplein and the Cortenbergh/Kortenberg road tunnel. The position of the tunnel in the Brussels rail network is shown in the simplified map on the right. Benefits of the project include: reducing the journey time from the European quarter (Schuman and Luxembourg stations) to the airport from half an hour to less than 15 minutes by opening a direct route and avoid having to change at Brussels North station opening a parallel route through Brussels to take pressure off the saturated Brussels North - Brussels South line

The Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking is an institutionalised European public-private partnership, established in 2021, to accelerate through research and development the delivery of the Digital European Sky, as part of the SESAR programme. Initiated in 2004, the SESAR programme is the technological arm of the EU's Single European Sky initiative to integrate EU Member States' ATM systems. Bringing together the EU, Eurocontrol, and more than 50 organisations covering the entire aviation value chain, including drones, this European partnership is investing more than EUR 1.6 billion between now and 2030 to accelerate, through research and innovation, the delivery of an inclusive, resilient and sustainable Digital European Sky.

The Royal Military Academy (French: École royale militaire, Dutch: Koninklijke Militaire School) is the military university of Belgium. The institution is responsible for the education of the officers of the four components of the Belgian defence (Army, Air Force, Navy, Medical) and is located in Brussels in a building constructed by the architects Henri Maquet and Henri Van Dievoet. The courses are given in French, Dutch and English. The Academy comprises two faculties: The Faculty of Applied Sciences (Polytechnique, X): Master of Science in engineering sciences; comparable to the French École polytechnique (also nicknamed "X" and founded by one of its ex-students, Jean Chapelié) The Faculty of Social and Military Sciences (S.M.S.): Master in Social and Military SciencesThe Royal Higher Institute for Defence, the highest military academic institute in Belgium is also located at the RMA campus (cf. Defence College, previously War College).

The Great Mosque of Brussels (French: Grande mosquée de Bruxelles, Dutch: Grote Moskee van Brussel) is located in the Cinquantenaire Park. The original building was built by architect Ernest Van Humbeeck in an Arabic style, to form the Oriental Pavilion of the National Exhibition in Brussels in 1880. At that time the pavilion housed a monumental painting on canvas: “Panorama of Cairo”, by the Belgian painter Emile Wauters, which enjoyed major success. However, lack of maintenance in the twentieth century caused the building to gradually deteriorate. In 1967, King Baudouin lent the building to King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia with a 99-year rent-free lease, on an official visit to Belgium as part of negotiations to secure oil contracts. The building was turned into a place of worship for the use of Muslim immigrants to Belgium, who at the time were notably from Morocco and Turkey. As part of the deal, imams from the Gulf area would be hired, although their orthodox salafism was a tradition, according to Georges Dallemagne, different from that of the more open-minded immigrants but their teachings would over time turn them into a more orthodox tradition and imams would discourage immigrants from integrating into the Belgian society, according to Georges Dallemagne. The mosque, after a long reconstruction carried out at the expense of Saudi Arabia by Tunisian architect Mongi Boubaker, was inaugurated in 1978 in the presence of Khalid ibn Abd al-Aziz and Baudouin.In the immediate vicinity of the Mosque, the Monument to the Belgian Pioneers in Congo depicts a scene called "Belgian military heroism wipes out the Arab slave trader". Visitors of the Mosque complained about the mention of the "Arab slave trade". Together with the Jordan and Saudi ambassadors, the imam of the Mosque filed a complaint regarding the inscription, leading to the removal of the mention "Arab" in 1988.The Mosque's role as the leading religious institution within the Belgian Islamic community—as well as its intended role as a diplomatic bridge between the Saudi and Belgian monarchies—has been a point of debate since its re-foundation. The mosque is popular with Muslim diplomats and is a popular location for Belgians seeking to convert to Islam. It has also taught thousands of Muslim students.Imams and officials have come out to repeat the message that Islam is a religion of peace and has nothing to do with the terrorists in the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks. The ICC's director Khalid Alabri who propagated the Takfiri dogma was expelled by Belgian authorities for his extreme views in 2012.In October 2017 the Belgian secretary of state of asylum and migration Theo Francken revoked the residence permit of the Egyptian-trained imam of the mosque, Abdelhadi Sewif. Francken cited his salafist ideology, his conservative stance and the imam being a danger to Belgian society and national security as reasons for the revocation. Sewif denied any connection with extremism and appealed to the country’s highest migration authority, but Belgium’s deputy premier, Jan Jambon, has shot down his chance of a successful appeal. A public commission investigating the 2016 Brussels bombings found that 9 participants of courses at the mosque had joined the ranks of foreign fighters of radical groups in the Middle East. Due to these findings, the commission recommended in October 2017 that Saudi control of the mosque be annulled. The commission also stated that the salafi and wahhabist doctrine of the mosque were antithetical to a liberal Islam compatible with European society.While the mosque leadership claims to promote an inclusionist vision of Islam, Belgian authorities state that the mosque encourage worshippers to close themselves off from mainstream Belgian society and that lead imam Abdelhadi Sewif spoke neither French nor Dutch, official languages of Belgium.

The Temple of Human Passions (French: Pavillon des passions humaines, Dutch: Tempel van de menselijke driften), also known as Pavillon Horta-Lambeaux, is a neoclassical pavilion in the form of a Greek temple that was built by Victor Horta in 1896 in the Cinquantenaire Park of Brussels (Belgium). Although classical in appearance, the building shows the first steps of the young Victor Horta towards Art Nouveau. It was designed to serve as a permanent showcase for a large marble relief The Human Passions by Jef Lambeaux. Since its completion the building has remained almost permanently closed. Since 2014, the building is accessible during the summer time.

The 'Monument to the Belgian Pioneers in Congo' (Dutch: Monument voor de Belgische pioniers in Congo; French: Monument aux pionniers belges au Congo) is a monument in the Cinquantenaire park in Brussels, Belgium, designed by Thomas Vinçotte and honouring the Belgian efforts in the former Belgian Congo. Partly due to the proximity of the Great Mosque of Brussels, an inscription regarding the Arab slave trade is the subject of ongoing controversy.

Autoworld is a museum of vintage cars in Brussels, Belgium. It is located in the southern hall of the Cinquantenaire Park, and displays a large and varied collection of over 250 European and American automobiles from the late 19th century to the 1990s. It is notable for its collections of early and Belgian-produced vehicles, including Minervas and several limousines belonging to the Belgian royal family.

The Parc du Cinquantenaire (French for "Park of the Fiftieth Anniversary", pronounced [paʁk dy sɛ̃kɑ̃tnɛʁ]) or Jubelpark (Dutch for "Jubilee Park", pronounced [ˈjybəlpɑr(ə)k]) is a large public, urban park of 30 ha (74 acres) in the easternmost part of the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium. Most buildings of the U-shaped complex which dominate the park were commissioned by the Belgian Government under the patronage of King Leopold II for the 1880 National Exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Belgian Revolution. During successive exhibitions in the same area, more structures were added. The centrepiece memorial arch, known as the Cinquantenaire Arch (French: Arc du Cinquantenaire, Dutch: Triomfboog van het Jubelpark), was erected in 1905, replacing a previous temporary version of the arcade by Gédéon Bordiau. The structures were built in iron, glass and stone, symbolising Belgium's economic and industrial performance. The surrounding 30 ha (74 acres) park esplanade was full of picturesque gardens, ponds and waterfalls. It housed several trade fairs, exhibitions and festivals at the beginning of the century. In 1930, the government decided to reserve the Cinquantenaire for use as a leisure park.The Royal Military Museum has been the sole tenant of the northern half of the complex since 1880. The southern half is occupied by the Art & History Museum and Autoworld vintage car museum. The Temple of Human Passions by Victor Horta, a remainder from 1886, the Monument to the Belgian Pioneers in Congo from 1921, and the Great Mosque of Brussels from 1978, are located in the north-western corner of the park (see map below). Line 1 of the Brussels Metro and the Belliard Tunnel from the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat pass underneath the park, the latter partly in an open section in front of the arch. The nearest metro stations are Schuman to the west of the park, and Merode immediately to the east.