European Security at the End of the Twentieth Century: The Subregional Contribution

Abstract

As in previous post-war periods, the end of the Cold War initiated a dynamic and creative process of reorganizing international security structures. That process is still in an intense, formative stage at the global and regional, as well as subregional, levels. In Europe, the creation of subregional structures from the Arctic in the north to the Black Sea in the south-east is a fascinating — yet very down-to-earth — security enhancing process. Across the old dividing lines we have today the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, the Council of Baltic Sea States, the Central European Free Trade Agreement, the Central Europe Initiative and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, as well as emerging cooperation processes in South-Eastern Europe. These ‘children of the post-Cold War era’ are actively contributing to welfare, security and solidarity both between and within the states of Europe.