This edited volume provides a comprehensive analysis of European approaches to United Nations peacekeeping by assessing past practice, present obstacles and future potentials related to nine core European countries' contributions to blue helmet operations.

Joachim A. Koops is Dean of Vesalius College, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Research Professor for European Foreign and Security Policy at the VUB's Institute for European Studies as well as Founding Director of the Global Governance Institute (GGI).

Giulia Tercovich is Erasmus Mundus Fellow at GEM PhD School in Globalization, the EU and Multilateralism at the University of Warwick (UK) and the Universiteì Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium). She is also Senior Analyst in the Peace and Security Section at the Global Governance Institute (GGI).

Introduction: A European return to United Nations peacekeeping? Opportunities, challenges and ways ahead Joachim A. Koops and Giulia Tercovich France: the unlikely return to UN peacekeeping Thierry Tardy The United Kingdom and United Nations peace operations David Curran and Paul D. Williams Germany and United Nations peacekeeping: the cautiously evolving contributor Joachim A. Koops Italy and UN peacekeeping: constant transformation Giulia Tercovich A Dutch return to UN peacekeeping? Niels van Willigen Europe's return to UN peacekeeping? Opportunities, challenges and ways ahead - Ireland Ray Murphy Denmark and UN peacekeeping: glorious past, dim future Peter Viggo Jakobsen Sweden and the UN: a rekindled partnership for peacekeeping? Claes Nilsson and Kristina Zetterlund Between self-interest and solidarity: Norway's return to UN peacekeeping? John Karlsrud and Kari M. Osland