Through the The EU as Security Regime a Ceiling : Developing for Europe ? Glass

This article examines the way in which the EU has moved beyond its traditional, cold war role, and has extended its role in the sphere of security policies. Enlargement to the east and south is one of the most effective ways in which the EU can extend its influence, and through which it can help to create a zone of security, peace and prosperity in Europe. However, the focus of this article is not upon enlargement itself, but the growth of the EU's role as a provider of security beyond its existing frontiers. The characteristics of international institutions are best understood through three levels of analysis: the international system, the individual states, and institutions themselves The fall of the iron curtain has created a changed international environment, and the opportunity for European international institutions to extend their membership, to alter and enhance their roles, and to influence the politics of their members. The EU has sought to project economic security through trade, and to exercise a political and diplomatic role beyond its borders. During the cold war, the allies on both sides of the Atlantic relied upon national defence and NATO to protect their territories. With the end of the cold war, both NATO and the EU were inevitably forced to re-examine their roles and raison d 'etre. Within the EC, the process of adaptation was different, as member states first wanted to consolidate their existing policy programme, including EMU.