In the last two decades an important debate has grown around Europe on how to face the new era of conflicts which are often within states, rather than between nations. Furthermore the interest in a third part intervention is rising. In the shift from reaction to prevention the civilian organizations have a relevant role. The idea about an ECPC increased to an institutional level after some experience on the ground made from civilian peacekeepers inside the bloody civil war that involved the former ex-Yugoslavia inside the Europe continent.

This essay will examine these sorts of opportunities, especially for the EU, because in Europe there is an important debate surrounding the creation and implementation of an ECPC for nonviolent conflict resolution. This discussion started in 1993 (at time of the Balkan war) and now is at the stage of some feasibility studies.