The evolving concept of security: A critical evaluation across four dimensions

“Security” is a complex and somewhat nebulous concept that is prone to multiple interpretations both across and within different societies and cultures, institutions, domains of human activity, etc. Within the FP7 project “The evolving concept of security: A critical evaluation across four dimensions” (EvoCS), the concept and perceptions of security are analyzed for the EU and some of its neighbors. The analysis is carried out based on four conceptual dimensions: A) Core values, e.g.,political stability. B) Perceptions of security, e.g., companies or individuals. C) Areas of security, e.g., different regions of Europe. D) Time: How does the concept of security evolve? Case studies form the core of this project: 1. West-Mediterranean EU (e.g., Italy; challenged, e.g., by maritime border control), 2. Eastern EU border (e.g., Baltic states; challenged, e.g., by an unstable neighborhood, 3. North-Western Europe (e.g., Germany; challenged, e.g., by flooding), 4. South-Eastern Europe (e.g., former Yugoslavia; challenged, e.g., by aftermaths of civil war)