ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the debates about what constitutes ‘Europe’ and ‘security’. It introduces readers to the relevance of the topic in the international relations curriculum. The chapter offers several areas of contemporary international relations strongly highlighted in European security. These areas are the important role of regional organisations, the role of the state and the role of the individual in international relations. If Europe is difficult to define, security is even more challenging. It is, perhaps, a myth that there was a clear understanding of what national security meant throughout the Cold War. The Copenhagen School, for example, identifies five general categories or sectors of security: military, environmental, economic, societal and political security. Europe’s regional security architecture has developed in a way in which none of the three organisations fulfil identical tasks. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
