ABSTRACT
The European security system has changed radically during the past ten years. The end of the Cold War opened up completely new opportunities, permitting a mixture of old and new options for security-building cooperation. This cooperation has gradually expanded to include new areas. Security is currently being established at all levels, ranging from the pan-European dimension to the local security environment. Security is being promoted at the central government level, by local authorities and by a wide range of nongovernmental actors. The impetus for this comprehensive security-building is, therefore, both a top-down and a bottom-up process.
