In the article, they provide a review of how the EU has embarked on this quest and the strategic hurdles it faces in doing so. They suggest that the EU has emerged as an influential maritime security actor: It operates multiple naval missions and runs ambitious capacity building programmes in the Western Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and Gulf of Guinea. However, they argue that while the EU has developed a substantial portfolio of activities, it continues to struggle with a series of challenges that undermine its success in establishing its role. We identify a series of strategic challenges that policymakers in Brussel are facing. These concern how to achieve coherence across strategies, interests and projects, how to manage relations with NATO and United Kingdom post-Brexit, and how to address emerging maritime security issues including environmental security at sea, climate change and the protection of critical subsea infrastructure.