Abstract
The adoption of a WMD strategy by the EU is considered an important step taken by it against the proliferation of weapon of mass destruction. This policy area had been neglected by the European Union for a long time and was absent from its political agenda. The strategy was adopted after the outbreak of two major crises that threatened the peace and security of the world. After initial consensus in the wake of 9/11, the Iraq crisis and the subsequent US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, exposed the lack of unity among the EU member states. The Iraq crisis thus served as a wakeup call for the European leaders who realized the need for consensus among member states regarding important security matters, particularly on the issue of nuclear proliferation, which has emerged as a potential security challenge for the EU after the Iraq war. Thus the matter of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons had to be taken seriously by member states of the EU. The international crisis triggered by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on America has also exposed Europe to the internal and external threat of terrorism. There is also the apprehension among the Europeans that terrorists might acquire nuclear weapons, and this has intensified the security-related anxieties of the EU. It is in this background that the EU has begun in recent years to play a more active role in matters related to international security. Thus the EU took some practical steps, including the adoption of policy documents on the proliferation of nuclear weapons and finally adopted the EU WMD strategy in 2003.