The Czech Republic’s Accession to the European Union in the Context of the External Dimension of Security Policy: The Czech Republic and “Out of Area” Peace Missions

The article examines the issue of the Czech Republic’s (CR) membership in the European Union as regards the external dimension of security policy. The focus is on the participation of the CR in peace missions, both military and civilian, in the “out of area” zone. Military missions are a key aspect of foreign and security policy, and a part of the contemporary European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The framework of analysis utilizes the three-dimensional concept of politics – polity, politics and policy. According to our analysis, the CR’s participation in EU’s missions is a predictable and natural outcome of Czech membership. The article also discusses the area of possible EU operations. The perimeter of the “closer neighbourhood” will play an important role in the future. However, other areas such as central Africa and some parts of Asia will also become the target of EU activities, mainly due to the nature of contemporary security threats.