Abstract

When it comes to Eastern Europe the term security should be understood in the broadest possible sense. ¹ For the European Union the increasing exposure to Eastern Europe, or what is increasingly known simply as the ‘Eastern neighbourhood’, spells a myriad of security challenges, both soft and hard. The area is home to some of the most impoverished and unstable countries in the world. For example, of the 12 countries in the area, altogether 4 feature prominently in the top 60 on Foreign Policy’s failed state index: Kyrgyzstan (31), Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (tied at 39) and Georgia (47) ( Foreign Policy, 2011). In addition, the relations between the countries in the region are often strained and the area is home to some of the most protracted and difficult inter- as well as intrastate conflicts in the world. What is more, the area also includes a less than fully stable regional hegemon, Russia, that jealously guards its perceived sphere of influence and has eyed the EU’s increasing role with some suspicion.