What should and what should not be regulated?

A second prerequisite for meaningful discussion of regulation is clarity as to the subject to be regulated. Serious analysis in this area is often frustrated by the lack of agreement as to what it is that PMCs actually do. This chapter surveys the industry and creates a typology of private actors in the military environment. It then proposes a theoretical model of regulation, establishing the tightest oversight of military operations aimed at altering the strategic environment. A combination of licensing and registration regimes would provide the most adequate solution on the national level, though its effectiveness would depend on complementary action on the international level.