Security beyond the state : the EU in an age of transformation What is the role of the European Union (EU) in dealing with crises that go beyond the nation states’ borders caused for example by terrorism cyber attacks regional conflicts state failure organised crime natural and man made disasters The authors assess what they deem the EU’s main challenge: the need to operate in a multidimensional setting with a wide range of actors such as member states national and international NGOs international organisations (particularly NATO and the UN) as well as a wide range of activities rules and norms which these diverse crises generate.