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Unit 11Arms Control in EuropeChapter 1: Introduction and basic concepts
All chapters
  1. 1. Introduction and basic concepts
  2. 2. History of arms control in Europe
  3. 3. Major instruments of European conventional arms control
  4. 4. Nuclear weapons and arms control in Europe
  5. 5. The role of the European Union
  6. 6. The future of European arms control
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Chapter 1

Introduction and basic concepts

Introduction

The European arms control system, which has its origins in the Cold War, is in dire straits. In the past, it was seen as a success story: arms control instruments facilitated the transition from a Cold War standoff between Warsaw Pact and NATO countries to the more cooperative relationship of the 1990s and early 2000s. This enabled large-scale reduction of stockpiles of conventional and nuclear weapons in Europe. By developing a network of arms control agreements and risk reduction measures, European countries sought to reduce the risk of war and curb the incentives for dangerous and costly arms races.

Existing arms control measures failed to prevent the deterioration of relations between the West and Russia, a trend that began in the early 2000s. This unravelling of the system reached its peak after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While a war on the continent rages, the prospects for reconstituting a European arms control system – one that would involve restraining military activities or reducing the size of weapons stockpiles – appears highly doubtful. Most European countries are now prioritising the strengthening of their defence and deterrence capabilities to protect themselves against potential aggression.

This learning unit will present the history of the development of the European arms control architecture, outline its main components and discuss its gradual unravelling. It will also examine the role of the European Union. Lastly, it will discuss the factors which may lead to a return of arms control and the foundations for a new, robust system with the ability to meet Europe’s security needs in the future.

Basic concepts

The European system of arms control includes various types of instruments and agreements. Some are legally binding; others are political commitments or declarations. Some involve pledges to verifiably reduce the numbers of weapons, for example main battle tanks, while others deal with voluntary information exchanges or additional measures to limit the risk of war. These measures can apply to conventional or nuclear weapons. They may be unilateral, bilateral or multilateral.

It is useful to distinguish between the different aims of these instruments and agreements. Four terms which can define the objectives of the European arms control system are:

  • Arms Control

    Agreements to regulate some aspect of military potential, including location, amount or types of weapons or facilities, usually with restraints and verification.

  • Behavioural Arms Control

    An approach to arms control focusing on developing and strengthening norms of responsible behaviour in interstate relations.

  • Risk Reduction

    Measures to reduce the risk of war due to misunderstandings, miscalculations, misinterpretations, accidents, or incidents.

  • Confidence- and Security Building Measures (CSBMs)

    Arrangements to increase trust between countries by enhancing transparency, predictability, and demonstrating a lack of aggressive intentions.

The EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament eLearning Course aims to cover all aspects of the EU non-proliferation and disarmament agenda. It's produced by PRIF with financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of individual learning units are the sole responsibility of the respective authors and don't necessariy reflect the position of the European Union.