This book investigates the institutional and operational development of the Western European Union (WEU) and its proposed enlargement. It assesses the motivations of its leading members and the progress made toward enhancing the WEU's role in the 1996-97 Intergovernmental Conference.

This is the first scholarly look at the likely future of the EU after next year's Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) which will probably be more important to the future of Europe than was the Maastricht Treaty. Since Maastricht it has become clear that the future developments are less certain with regard to the EU and integration. The IGC will try and resolve tensions such as "widening", Europe to include former communist countries while also trying to "deepen" Europe with increased political and economic integration; providing a framework which is acceptable to those countries who favor more integration and an early move to monetary union. Reforming the European Union provides comprehensive coverage of these key issues and adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining political science, economics and law.

Provides a survey of the principal items on the agenda following the end of the Cold War, focusing upon the institutions and regions where the reconsideration of security issues has been particularly profound. The book is organised into three main sections: the first examines the changed roles of the main security institutions which have survived the Cold War; NATO, the European Union/Western European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The second analyses the Central European countries, Russia and States of the former Soviet Union in terms of their ideologies, political structures and relationships of the Cold War period. Lastly the text examines the northern and southern regions of Europe where quite different perspectives and agendas are concerned.

Provides a survey of the principal items on the agenda following the end of the Cold War, focusing upon the institutions and regions where the reconsideration of security issues has been particularly profound. The book is organised into three main sections: the first examines the changed roles of the main security institutions which have survived the Cold War; NATO, the European Union/Western European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The second analyses the Central European countries, Russia and States of the former Soviet Union in terms of their ideologies, political structures and relationships of the Cold War period. Lastly the text examines the northern and southern regions of Europe where quite different perspectives and agendas are concerned.

Throughout much of Europe the preoccupation with military security that dominated political thinking after the end of the Second World War has given way to an emphasis upon mutual interdependence. But what does this mean, both theoretically and practically, terms of a "new" agenda? The focus of this book is upon four main issues: economic development; security; the environment; and human rights. These are of course not in themselves new issues, but during the period of the Cold War, they were subordinated to the ideological division of the continent. Now they have emerged as decisive in the way in which Europe will develop. The authors examine the four issues in depth, and draw out the links between them. They also examine the various levels at which these problems exist - the level of the "system", of the state and of the individual. Thus it is possible for them to illustrate general issues with specific reference to local, national and Europe-wide political debates.

The new agenda of interdependence: the authors address newly-dominant issues of economic development, security, the environment and human rights, at the levels of `system', `state' and `individual'.