This scheme puts a battlegroup composed of elements from one or more EU member states at the disposal of the European Council to be deployed as required.

As one of the larger EU members, the United Kingdom contributed to two individual battlegroups.

The British Battlegroup is made up entirely of British forces, while the other, the UK–Dutch Battlegroup, has the UK as the "framework" (i.e. lead) nation in the formation, in conjunction with forces from the Netherlands.

The Netherlands also contributes to Battlegroup 107, alongside Germany and Finland.

The two UK-led battlegroups are formed from units declared to the UK's Joint Rapid Reaction Force, a rapid deployment element formed either from 3 Commando Brigade or 16 Air Assault Brigade, which are the elite commando and paratroop formations.