Teija Tiilikainen, a researcher at Helsinki University, describes the changes that have taken place in Europe´s security structures since the end of teh Cold war. the roles of the EU and NATO as the pillars of the new system and their key plans for teh future. Dr Tiilikainen analyses Finland and Åland´s position in the new European security system. How far is Finland prepared to go in its membership of the Europea Union? If a European defence is created within the framework of the EU, would Finland be willing to relinquish its policy of non-alignment? What pressures for change in respect of Åland´s international status cpuld Finland´s membership of NATO give rise to? What would happen to Åland if Finland were one day to join NATO?