Europe is already one of the main actors⁽²⁾ on the world stage, even if it is still for the moment a political dwarf. It bears a universal message founded on parliamentary democracy, human rights, and the replacement of secular conflicts by close trans- and supranational cooperation based on subsidiarity. This has created a political capital which it must use to stabilise her Eastern and Southern (Mediterranean) neighbours; to secure her energy needs; to combat the geopolitical consequences of global warming; to mitigate the North-South divide; to cooperate with Africa; to promote democracy, development, economy, security and controlled immigration; and to target key partnerships with (for instance) Russia, China, India and Brazil.

Today nothing is more important than the reduction of the EU’s intrinsic vulnerabilities, and the consolidation of its euro-Mediterranean environment; the strategic situation has well and truly changed. To quote General Beaufre, It is not certain that we have yet understood that the concepts of major wars and real peace all expired at the same time’. What we are currently faced with are crises linked to the resurgence of local conflicts no longer frozen by the Cold War, the dissolution of certain States, the growing attraction of terrorism, and the explosion of organised crime.

The disturbers of peace thus created (radical or mafia organisations, semi-State or private enterprise) look to exploit asymmetric threats, changes in perceived values,⁽³⁾ the use of civil populations as hostages or targets,⁽⁴⁾ subversion of assets (particularly in terms of duration, and hijacking systems or civil equipment). Europe has become a very tempting target for all extremists.