The 'post-Cold War period' remain a relatively fresh experience in international relations and it is evident that political, economic and security institutions and their leaders need some time to adapt to today's changed security-political environment that is characterised by real and perceived threats that differ from those experienced in the past. The comparison of national security systems and contemporary threats reveals that the former are still quite traditional in terms of their structure and organisation, and conventional in terms of their functioning. Although some changes are taking place, they are chiefly limited to particular mechanisms and instruments of the national security system and do not pertain to the system as a whole. These changes are seen as an attempt by some countries to connect the existing national security system elements into a crisis management functional model. The article brings an analysis and comparison of several reform initiatives and actions that have emerged in the field of national security systems and policies in Europe and North America in the last few years.
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