35

After 1991, the classical strategy in Europe, which was conditioned by a threatening adversary, had partly lost its meaning and its justification, due to the disappearance of the communist bloc and the progressive integration of Eastern Europe into the European Community. There is a common belief now that new threats have replaced the old ones. The most frequently mentioned include terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, state failure, regional conflicts, organized crime, civil violence, natural disasters, environmental catastrophes and even poverty and epidemics. The characteristics of the insecurity worldwide and, in particular, in Europe, call for more complexity, more sophistication, and better coordination and integration of security policies, at both national and international level. In conclusion, the current situation in terms of security does not yet constitute the response to the diversity of contemporary stakes.