This paper aims to examine whether – and, if relevant, to what extent – the ‘overreaction’ generated by the terrorist attacks that targeted the United States (September 11, 2001), Madrid (March 11, 2004) and London (July 7, 2005) has led to a securitisation of policies and legislation within the European Union. It begins by identifying developments in European security (and particularly anti-terrorism) policy, in terms of the Union’s declamatory policy and the establishment of new security institutions, as well as the application of externalisation and intensive trans-governmentalism to security policy across the Mediterranean. A parallel review of developments in the security dialogue between South Mediterranean partner states and European states is pursued, briefly sketching the evolution of domestic security policies within chosen European countries and their South Mediterranean partners. Finally, the paper draws some conclusions on the interaction between security and democracy discourses, and their interactive relationship within the framework of the political and security basket of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.