The exercise, in the framework of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), is a Command Post Exercise (CPX) and will focus on the key military aspects of crisis management.

"No troops will be deployed," said a press release issued by the EU Council Secretariat.

During the conduct of the exercise, the EU Operations Center ( EU OpsCenter), composed of military and civilian elements, will be activated for the first time.

This will be the second time for the EU to stage a military exercise.

The first military exercise ever staged by the EU, however, was conducted in November 2005.

The exercise will focus on the interaction between the EU OpsCenter in Brussels and an EU Force Headquarters (FHQ) in Enkoping of Sweden, in the context of an autonomous EU-led military operation.

According to the EU Council, the exercise will be based on a newly developed scenario called ALISIA that is being used for EU exercises during the time frame from 2006 to 2010.

The scenario depicts a situation in a fictitious country ( Alisia), where friction between the Transitional Government of Alisia and a rebel group (National Freedom Movement) leads to a situation in which the deployment of humanitarian aid to camps of internally displaced persons in the North-Western part of the country is significantly hampered.

A UN mission already on the ground does not have sufficient capabilities to address the situation.

Under the scenario, at the request of the UN, the EU has decided to conduct an operation bridging the time needed for the UN to reorganize its personnel. The EU operation will include the deployment of a force up to 2000 personnel including an Integrated Police Unit, temporarily placed under military responsibility.

The EU Council said some 200 "players" and supporting personnel are expected to take part.

The exercise is carried out under the operational authority of the EU's security policy chief Javier Solana. Lieutenant-General David Leakey is the official conducting the exercise.