ABSTRACT
Co-operation between the European Union and the applicant countries in central and eastern Europe in the area of justice and home affairs (the “third pillar”) is of great importance to the process of enlargement. Its aim is to assist the associate countries to achieve the political criteria established by the Copenhagen European Council: stability of institutions, the rule of law and human rights. The EU wants to export its own stability to the central and east European countries (CEECs), thereby also preventing the import into the EU of instability and insecurity. The ultimate objective is to create a European-wide area of freedom, security and justice. “Security” is no longer a question of military balance, but has developed-especially since the fall of the Iron Curtain-towards an overall notion including internal security.
