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Relations between the EU and NATO have become a topic of increasing discussion in recent years without having as yet generated a substantial scholarly literature. This book represents a notable attempt to remedy the deficiency. Martin Reichard gives equal weight to the legal and political dimensions of relations, as suggested by his subtitle. Whilst the discussions on the former may prove to be occasionally rather daunting for readers without specialist legal knowledge, on the whole he conveys his points and develops his arguments crisply and accessibly. The individual chapters also stand alone effectively, so that readers who prefer to focus on either the political or the legal dimension can 'dip into' the book in the knowledge that each chapter contains interesting and worthwhile discussion in its own right. The author facilitates this through effective cross-referencing.

The book is not a mere review. Reichard has a case to make: that 'the balance of European security is shifting from NATO to the EU' (p. 21). In making it he focuses on the peacekeeping and related operations which the EU has conducted since 2003, in particular those in Macedonia and Bosnia where it took over from in situ NATO operations. Underpinning this argument is the contention that, contrary to widespread perception, there is no underlying legal or political imbalance in security relations between the two institutions. In a particularly provocative Chapter 5, Reichard denies that NATO has ever asserted a 'right of first refusal' over peacekeeping operations. Later, in Chapter 8 he develops a persuasive argument that, whilst NATO's so-called 'Berlin Plus' agreement (setting out principles on when and how the EU can call upon NATO military assets and resources) is not a formal treaty in international law, it nevertheless has come to be seen as being de facto binding on both parties.

In general, Reichard makes his case clearly, vigorously and effectively. Naturally elements of it are open to challenge. For example, his argument about the shifting balance does not really take into account NATO's continuing core role in Kosovo, where it still maintains over 16,000 troops. Further, there is a suspicion that Reichard is aware that Kosovo detracts from his case. He does not serve it well, however, by appearing to gloss over the Kosovo situation (less than two substantive pages are devoted to the question of whether the EU could take over peacekeeping duties there).

It is - or should be - in the nature of effective scholarship to challenge preconceptions and provoke debate. For readers with an interest in the EU's ESDP and CFSP, and for those interested in contemporary European security more generally, this book will very likely do both these things. It is therefore, warmly recommended.

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