Speaker

Mr. Coppola is Lieutenant General of the Italian Carabinieri. As of September 2018, he is the Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability and the Civilian Operations Commander of the Civilian Missions of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy – European External Action Service. In this position, he is responsible for planning and conduct of the Civilian CSDP Missions and he assists and advices the EU High Representative / Vice-President and relevant EU Council bodies in close coordination with the EEAS and the EU Commission. He regularly coordinates with the EU Military Staff, the EU Planning Directorate and other relevant EU and International actors in the field of crisis management.

Mr. Coppola has an extensive international experience with specialisation on the interaction between the civil-military crisis management aspects and the need to maintain appropriate relations with all relevant political, military and institutional actors. He has applied his in-depth expertise in many theatres of operations including: Team Leader for the establishment of the UN mission in Somalia UNOSOM I and II; Head of the NATO Mission to FYROM (now Republic of North Macedonia); Head of the newly established Police Unit of the General Secretariat of the EU Council; and, Head of the EU Police Mission EUPM in Bosnia Herzegovina.