European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for a European alert mechanism, independent of NATO, to jointly respond to security threats that fall below the level of an armed aggression.
“Cyberattacks and sabotage, arson, drone incursions: They are ramping up every day,” von der Leyen said on Wednesday in an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
Under the plans, all 27 EU countries would convene should one country trigger the planned alert mechanism. The aim would be to deter further escalation and to mitigate the impact of the threat.
“Europe needs its own counter-hybrid playbook. We urgently need a consensus on how to respond to certain incidents,” she said.
“In other words, a mechanism to flank NATO’s Article 4,” von der Leyen said.
Under Article 4 of the defence alliance’s founding document, allies can request an emergency meeting for security incidents that fall short of an armed conflict but threaten their safety, territory or political freedom.
“Our systems are made for a different world,” von der Leyen told EU lawmakers.
“They are driven by well-intentioned attempts at consensus and compromise. But we need to consider if they are still fit for purpose,” she said.
The commission chief also announced plans for a European Security Council where EU leaders would meet with leaders from partner countries like Canada, Norway, Ukraine and Britain.