Assessing the EU's main security threats, the terrorist threat and the EU's counter measures

Abstract

In this dissertation I propose to analyse the main security threats which the EU is facing today, especially as some of these threats are more pressing than others. Some of these threats are a legacy from the Cold War while other threats are a result of the changing world and the development of new technologies. Chapter 1 deals with the aspects of the direct physical security threats to the EU. The next threat explored is the proliferation of WMD, and then we move to the position of rogue states which cannot be ignored. We then move to analyse the position of military powers such as Russia, China, India and Pakistan. The last part of chapter 1 deals with nonconventional security threats such as cyber terrorism, immigration, environmental hazards, etc. The last but not least threat covered is Terrorism to explore its main characteristics. Chapter 2 will focus entirely on terrorism and its relationship with Europe. We look at the types of terrorism which have targeted the EU, such as Classical, Modern and Mega terrorism which can be ideologically, religiously or politically motivated. In this chapter we also go into the main changes which characterize terrorism at the present time. Particular attention will be given to Islamic terrorism and the link it has to the EU and explore the origins and motivations of such terrorism. This chapter will demonstrate the importance of terrorism to European security. Chapter 3 will focuses on two case studies of two European states which have a long history of dealing with terrorist activity of all types as mentioned in chapter 2. These are Italy and Spain where terrorism was and is still a security threat. This chapter explores how both states reacted to terrorism through legislation and policies and how national anti-terrorism policies may have affected positively or negatively, the formulation of an EU-level response. Chapter 4 speaks about the EU's policies to overcome terrorism from the earliest attempts such as the Trevi groups to the latest policies such as the European Arrest Warrant.This chapter focuses on the main developments which took place in the 1990s especially post 11/September and post Madrid bombings in 2004. The main aim is to see whether the EU is countering terrorism and how? Chapter 5 brings together the mam arguments as mentioned and discussed in this dissertation. One can find the conclusions that the EU is facing numerous security threats, among them terrorism which proved to be the most pressing and dangerous threat at the moment for numerous reasons. This reality pushed the EU to take action with the aim to counter terrorism and stop terrorist activity from negatively affecting the EU. The EU is aware of the threat and is taking concrete action together with the member states to counter terrorism.