Report which discusses issues related to the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) including the level of involvement of the entities in using political and military actions to defend against terrorism and proliferation, the types of military forces necessary, the role of the EU in crisis management, the appropriateness of decision-making procedures to respond to emerging threats, and the role of other international institutions.

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: Eastern front; Italy; air war; Southeast Asia; Pacific. Maps: Communications centers hit in the Balkans; Crimea. Includes 7 photographs. Back: Smoke. Description of 4 ways to produce smoke for combat purposes. 1 illustration. 9 photographs.

The European Union (EU) has long viewed the enlargement process as an extraordinary opportunity to promote political stability and economic prosperity in Europe. U.S. Administrations and many Members of Congress have long backed EU enlargement, believing that it serves U.S. interests by advancing democracy and economic prosperity throughout the European continent. Some U.S. officials are concerned that "enlargement fatigue" as well as the EU's ongoing financial crisis could hinder EU expansion. The status of EU enlargement and its implications for both the EU itself and U.S.-EU relations may be of interest to the second session of the 112th Congress.

This report reviews the process by which candidate states are selected, including a sketch of the responsibilities of Congress and allied governments in final approval or disapproval of Albania and Croatia. The report reviews general political factors for qualification, as well as external issues such as the views of Russia and regional geopolitical considerations. Then follows an analysis of current conditions in the two states nominated to join, as well as in Macedonia. In addition, there is a brief analysis of the debate over the qualifications of Georgia and Ukraine for NATO's Membership Action Plan (MAP), a set of guidelines laid out by the alliance for governments that wish to take the next step of becoming actual candidates. An appendix examines key legislation on enlargement during the past fifteen years. (p. CRS-2).