Segurança e Defesa

European Defence and the Mediterranean, por Roberto Aliboni

European defence concerns in the Mediterranean region reflect both objective realities and European perceptions of the challenges they face. Bearing this in mind, the present paper assesses both considerations in order to describe what future defence configurations in the region will be, but the most important concern is to establish what the challenges might really be. A broad objective assessment of the challenges and risks emanating from the European Union’s southern approaches is therefore essential and is comprised of three dimensions: 1) South-South relations and the identification of intra-state and inter-state causes of instability; 2) North-South relations and challenges such as spill over effects the impact of asymmetric strategies for the EU, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the so-called “rogue states”; and, 3) trans-national risk for EU’s communities.