The European approach to security
Security is dealt with by the EU in a holistic manner which underlines a broad understanding of security as a finality which needs to be built in the long run, through structural policies (e.g. development cooperation, democracy promotion, human rights protection) as well as through traditional policies (e.g. police operation, military operations etc).
The EU’s holistic and structural approach to security has been first considered as a model and then criticised by some for its ineffectiveness. It is therefore necessary to explore the extent to which the EU has been able to undertake an effective structural foreign policy, what are its strengths and its shortcomings, and explore how it has dealt with the coexistence of a civilian and a military dimension of security building. The research will first clarify the concept of holistic security and put it in the context of the theories of security studies. The analysis will be base on a constructivist theoretical background and aim at identifying the characteristics of a security policy made in holistic terms and the root causes of such an approach.
A comparative methodology will be employed to compare policies, principles and performances in the different policy areas analysed.