Commercialising Security in Europe

Book excerpt: This book examines the political consequences of European security commercialisation through increased reliance on private military and security companies (PMSCs). The role of commercial security in the domestic setting in Europe is widely acknowledged; after all, the biggest private security company globally – G4S Group – has its roots in Scandinavia. However, the use of commercial security contracting by European states for military purposes in international settings is mostly held to be marginal. This book examines the implications of commercialisation for the peace and reconciliations strategies of European states, focussing specifically on European contracting in Afghanistan. Drawing upon examples from Scandinavia, Central Europe and Continental Europe, each chapter considers three key factors: the national contexts that give security contracting in Afghanistan its meaning; the national contracting practices; the political consequences for the operation in Afghanistan. This book will be of much interest to students of critical security studies, global governance, peace and conflict studies, European politics, and IR in general.