Abstract:
This study sheds lights on the various challenges that face the European Union in its way to set up a unified and independent military force to be charged of the security and defense of Europe outside the framework of NATO and the U.S. influence. This objective has been the subject of numerous initiatives since the beginning of the European integration project in 1957, including the Security and Defense Initiative of 1988, the European Security Strategy of 2003 and the European Defense Agency of 2004…etc.
However, despite the diversity of those initiatives that revolved around the idea of a common defense and security policy, the European Union has not succeeded in establishing a strong, independent security force able to maintain security within EU’s borders, and performing security or military tasks in areas bordering the European Union space, like the Mediterranean Sea.
Keywords: European Union; Security; Challenges; Foreign Relations.
