| As the process of European unification has gained increasing momentum in recent years, its proponents have argued that the lines dividing the nations of the European Union are becoming less relevant. It has been argued that successful integration on economic, legal and social issues, for example, will lead to successful integration on defense issues. In short, defense integration is considered to be one component of the overall integration process.; This paper argues that defense integration is a unique concept entailing distinct characteristics. As such, if defense integration is to be properly understood, it should not be viewed as simply one component of the overall process. This paper argues that the traditional approaches to integration have failed to take this issue into account, which has resulted in a lack of clarity as to how and why nations take part in defense integration. |
