The European union as an international actor of peace and security

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the role of the European Union (EU) as an actor for peace and security in international society. The EU has assumed a number of military and civil capacities that have allowed it to take a preponderant role in global governance. However, this has not been an easy task and these capacities have constantly had to be adapted to new circumstances and challenges. Regardless of the lessons learned and the norms and procedures developed, new situations still exist that require the EU to continue reinventing its policy in the area of peace and security if it wants to establish itself as a leading actor in the multipolar society of the twenty-first century.