CIAO DATE: 11/03

What Security Capabilities for the EU?

Abstract

The realisation of a European Defence Policy is a project as old as the European Community itself. With the collapse of communism, the European security paradigm changed. Previous tensions, kept under control by the two superpowers, now burst to the surface. Rather than facing a mass attack of Soviet tanks, Europeans now had to confront a different security landscape dominated by ethnic conflicts, failed states, organised crime, terrorism and proliferation of WMD. The 9/11 terrorist attacks were a massive blow to the US and put terrorism at the top of the security agenda.

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