The dawning of a new security era?

Lionel Ponsard examines the significance for the European Union and NATO relations of the termination of SFOR and deployment of EUFOR. When the European Union takes primary responsibility for providing security in Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2004, it will be the greatest sign to date of its emerging defence capabilities and ambitions. It will also be indicative of how far EU-NATO relations have progressed in recent years. And it will put this strategic partnership, which is increasingly vital to Euro-Atlantic security, in the spotlight. In this way, both the strengths of the relationship and the weaknesses will rapidly become evident.