EU Security Governance: Putting the ‘Security’ Back In

The aim of this work is to provide informed insights about the main understandings on security governance. ‘Security governance’ as a concept is investigated, and the theoretical assumptions upon which or against which the term is built presented. Security governance literature lacks of a reflection upon the understanding and construction of ‘security’; instead, attempts at bridging the literature on security with that on security governance may enhance the theoretical and empirical relevance of the term. The analysis of the European system of security governance will emphasise how the post-Westphalian nature of states within Europe renders security regulation efforts different from those of other systems.  Against this background, prospect of cooperation do not only depend on the possible exportation of the European system of security governance, but also on compatible interests among different actors and on European reliability as a security actor in cooperative efforts.