Security In The Extended Black Sea Region As A Means Of Further European Integration

• Author: Alexandru Teodoru
• Position: Student, Danubius University of Galati, Faculty of Communication Sciences and International Relations, Romania
• Pages: 419-423

The Youth of Toda y - The Generation of the Global Development

419

Security in the Extended Black Sea Region

as a Means of Further European Integration

Alexandru Teodoru

1

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of the security aspect in tod ay‘s

international relations scene, through the eyes of the European Union and put emphasis on the micro-level of

security in order to achieve a higher level of security, at a macro-level. This paper relates to other work in this

field by the fact that it raises up serious questions about european integration through the security aspect. The

approach used in this paper was mainly a observational one, trying to point out the strong and weak points of

the european system and to sketch out a possible direction for further european integration. The results, or

conclusion of this paper is that integration can be achieved in the security department at a higher level by

firstly doing so at a micro-level, in this particular case, in the extended Black Sea region. This paper is

original through the fact that is whises to point out the importance of each individual in the complex structure

that is the European Union.

Keywords: European Union; globalisation; security instruments; international conflicts; micro-level

perspective

1 Introduction

Security in international relations has become a subject of discussion more and more frequently

addressed and important between international actors, especially in the contemporary international

relations system, where terrorist attacks, the political instability of states, authoritarian regimes and the

desire of national and ethnical affirmation can be seen more and more often.

Nowadays, the Black Sea region is, in essence, the intersection of four different geopolitical dynamics.

The first two dynamics are based on the interests of the two powerful states in the region, Turkey and

Russia. Apart from these two, we add many countries included in the European Neighbourhood

Policy. The United States, however, sees the region as a gateway to deploy its policies in the Middle

East and Eurasia. The Black Sea became a crossroads of the four parties involved, Turkey, Russia, the

United States and the European Union. As a result, security and stability in the Black Sea have

reverberations throughout the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian area.

2 The European Union

In the context of the European continent, the European Union plays an important role in forming and

making policies that address matters related to security, even in states that are not me mbers of the

1Student, Danubius University of Galati, Faculty of Communication Sciences and International Relations, Romania, Address:

3 Galati Blvd, 800654 Galati, Romania, Tel.: +40372361102, Fax: +40372361290, Corresponding author:

alexandru.teodoru@idanubius.ro.