European Way of Doing Security: the Eu As a ?distinct? Security Actor

Having equipped itself with Rapid Reaction Forces and a European Defense Agency, the EU has undertaken a gradual but stable evolution past the image of ?an economic giant, but a political dwarf and military worm?. Simultaneously, its ESDP missions continue to have a predominantly civilian character. In the light of this development this book sets off to unravel the peculiar nature of the European Union way of doing security as to determine whether it has emerged as a distinctive approach, radically different from the one practiced by a traditional great power such as the US. In approaching this conundrum the research embarks on the core premises of the realist and constructivist paradigms. Revealing the EU way of security-making is based on a comparative analysis of EU and US strategic cultures, capability toolbox, military- industrial complex and missions as to establish their strategic convergence or divergence in practicing security. The objective of this analysis is to shed some light on the EU specific way of doing security, which could be useful to professionals and academics in the European security research field or anyone interested in the ESDP development.