The promotion of human security in EU security policies. INEX Policy Brief No. 7, March 2010

This Policy Brief calls for a comprehensive understanding of the internal/external security landscape from an EU perspective. The expansion of activities and policies that favour a closed Union, with the extensive investment in counter-terrorism, has the potential of becoming counterproductive for the safety of EU citizens. The EU’s common foreign and security policy should instead focus on adopting an approach that is firmly in line with the principles of human security. To a large extent, this has been incorporated in the European security strategy, which adheres to these principles. In this context, however, the discourse as well as the official documents need to be followed up with due and serious action. In doing so, the root causes of insecurity can be addressed, and the security of Europe and the rest of the world will ultimately be at the centre of attention