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8. What, in your opinion, are the main challenges and concerns in the 21st century?

Apart from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the spread of global terrorism, the rise of Islam and declining populations in the west, there is an additional dynamic that can further exacerbate these challenges: that is the EU’s relationship with NATO vis a vis Europe developing its own independent security policy and capability.

The Solana Papers brought to the fore a need, felt by some quarters in Europe, for the EU to develop militarily, which may compete with NATO and by extension the US. As a consequence, the ability of the EU/NATO and the coalition of the willing led by the US to address the aforementioned challenges may be seriously diminished.

9. How, if at all, can the EU Union and the European citizens deal with them?
The EU needs to become a majour player in the international community by reaching out to nations that are developing WMD’s and using diplomatic means to dissuade their leaders from continuing along that path. The EU should help these nations, whom are often characterized as being impoverished, unstable, and with weak to nonexistent democratic institutions, to develop politically and economically.
Doing so will reduce the exportation of terrorism and illegal economic migrants to the EU and even the United States of America. If the EU does develop its military capability this should be used for humanitarian intervention and assistance missions, and at the same time, a strong partnership and cohesion with NATO should be established. The purpose of this is to coordinate a joint effort and reduce the real possibility of over stretching the use of common personnel and assets for disparate and conflicting missions and interests.