A New European Peace Order as a System of Collective Security
| Published date | 01 June 1984 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002234338402100207 |
| Date | 01 June 1984 |
| Author | Dieter S. Lutz |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
A New
European
Peace
Order
as
a
System
of
Collective
Security
DIETER
S.
LUTZ
University
of
Hamburg,
Institute
for
Peace
Research
and
Security
Policy
Peace
by
military
deterrence
based
on
pact
systems
should
merely
be
understood
as
a
’gain
in
time’
or
as
a
’respite’
which
must
urgently
be
utilized
in
the
search
for
political
solutions
and
alternatives.
The
following
thoughts
may
be
seen
as
part
of
this
inquiry.
Their
focus
lies
within
the
logical
and
consistent
continuation
of
the
basic
idea
of
common
security
into
the
idea
of
a
system
of
collective
security
as
envisioned
in
the
UN
Charter
and
in
the
Constitution
of
the
Federal
Republic
of
Germany.
The
article
discusses
phases,
individual
steps
and
graded
measures
towards
a
realization
of
a
regional
’European
System
of
Collective
Security’,
among
others:
defensive
superiority,
renunciation
of
destabilization,
confidence-building
measures,
public
support,
unilateral
disarmament,
nuclear-weapon-free
zones,
relaxation
of
bloc-integration,
neutralism,
and
finally
institutionalization
measures.
A
regional
’European
system
of
Collective
Security’
is
not
only
conceivable
but
also
feasible
in
the
sense
of
being
’realistic’
because
a
number
of
the
steps
and
measures
necessary
towards
such
a
system
can
be
put
into
effect
immediately
without
dissolving
the
current
pacts.
’Nothing
in
the present
Charter
precludes
the
existence
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~~/?C~~O/’
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of regional arrangements
or agencies for dealing
with
such
matters
relating
to
the
maintenance
of
inter-
national
peace
and
security
as
are
appropriate
for
regional
action,
provided
that
such
arrangements
or
agencies
and
their
activities
are
consistent
with the
purposes
and
principles
of
the
United
Nations’
Charter
of
the
United
Nations
Article
52,
para
1
l.
The
need
for
a
discussion
The
social
democratic
doctrine
of
’common
security’
can
undoubtedly
be
credited
with
having
drawn
public
attention
to
the
necessity
of
pursuing
a
joint
approach
to
security
policy
in the
atomic
age.
Conversely,
the
new
peace
movement
can
be
credited
with
once
again
having
sharpened
our
awareness
of
the
costs
and
risks
of
the
current
bloc
structures
and
their
destabilizing
impact.
Although
opinions
differ
when
assessing
the
pace
of
the
necessary
changes,
both
conceptions
and
approaches
in
discussion
converge
in
the
quest
for
an
al-
ternative
peace
and
security
policy
for
Europe.
None
the
less,
both
sides
have
hitherto
failed
to
produce
more
concrete
ideas
for
a
’New
European
Peace
Order’
(NEPO),
whose
realiza-
tion
has
to
follow
at
a
more
or
at
a
less
rapid
pace
-
depending
on
the
given
perspective.
In
the
following
we
have
therefore
attempted
to
provide
first
descriptions
of
the
possible
goal
and
simultaneously
to
indicate
steps
for
at-
taining
it.
However,
we
should
preface
this
with
three
observations.
Firstly,
it
must
be
stressed
as
a
matter
of
prin-
ciple
that
the
search
for
alternatives
is
only
beginning.
The
following
inquiry
can
therefore
only
be
viewed
as
provisional
ideas
and
pos-
sible
suggestions
which
will
need
to
be
sup-
plemented
and
perhaps
revised.
However,
the
necessity
of
discussing
these
points
is
not
simply
a
matter
for
politicians
and
academics.
Quite
justifiably,
security
policy
is
more
than
any
other
sphere
of
policy
a
question
of
acceptance
and
a
problem
of
legitimation.
For
that
reason,
it
must
be
discussed
and
borne
by
the
general
public.
Secondly,
we
should
point
out
that
the
fol-
lowing
reflections
contain
two
premises
which
automatically
lead
to
a
curtailment
of
the
direc-
tion
and
the
spectrum
of
possible
altern-
atives.
In
other
words,
criticism
of
these
premises
is
possible
in
’emanent’
terms
as
well
as
their
follow-up
conclusions
in
’immament’
terms.
The
two
premises
are:
on
the
one
hand,
development
of
the
concept
of
’common’
security
into
a
’collective’
security;
and,
on
the
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