Since the Treaty of Amsterdam came into force in 1999, the European Union has progressively incorporated military security into its broad spectrum of activities and worked to build up its military capabilities. In this new book, Willem van Eekelen, a diplomat-turned-politician, charts the progression of the European security and defence policy, its difficult and even competitive relationship with NATO and the development of a European security strategy. He explores new threats linking internal and external security and the emerging concept of the ‘responsibility to protect’ in the context of UN peacekeeping missions. This book is intended for students and policy practitioners to guide them through the mass of documents and statements that frame the continuing debate on European security. It identifies the possible scenarios that lie ahead and the choices that have to be made.