In preparation for its second standby period in the first half of 2011, when it was also known as EUBG 2011/1, its composition changed; Austrian and Lithuanian troops were added, the Netherlands took over command.

[2] Dutch minister of Defence Henk Kamp and his EU colleagues agreed upon the formation of the Dutch–German–Finnish battlegroup on 22 November 2004 in Brussels.

Following the exercise, lieutenant-general Hans Sonneveld, second-in-command of the Dutch forces, commented that the EU Battlegroups are a new step towards the "rising self-awareness of Europe".

The Netherlands provided an infantry company, a medical taskforce, a logistics battalion, headquarters personnel and an intelligence unit.

The operation, codenamed "European Rhino 1", centred on supporting the government of the fictitious country of 'Blueland' in restoring and maintaining order after ethnic tensions between the minority in power and other groups within the population erupted.