Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, on Wednesday in a speech at the European Parliament, called for the establishment of a new "European Security Council" and an emergency security protocol at the EU level that would necessitate convening all member states in the event of a security incident.
Necessity of Establishing a New Security Council
In her speech, von der Leyen emphasized that European security institutions and their decision-making mechanisms have not kept pace with the rapidly changing environmental threats, referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the increasing alleged hybrid threats from Russia against European countries. She stated that the EU needs "a hybrid counter-guide" and called for an agreement on how to respond to incidents that fall below the threshold of armed aggression but still pose a threat to national security.
She stated: "I believe the time has come for us to have our own emergency security protocol" and referred to Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which states that members of this treaty convene to discuss and deliberate in cases of threat.
Proposed Mechanism and Cooperation with NATO
According to von der Leyen's proposed mechanism, when a member country activates this mechanism, all EU countries must convene to coordinate a European response, prevent further escalation, and mitigate the impact of the incident. She also emphasized that this initiative would act as a complement to existing cooperation with NATO, whose membership largely overlaps with the European Union.
Von der Leyen also announced plans to present proposals to realize the European Security Council and stated that this initiative is increasingly necessary due to the "nature and scale" of the threats facing the continent.
She added that the proposed format includes bringing together EU leaders and its partners, including Canada, Ukraine, the UK, and Norway, to focus on European security.
Positions on the Middle East and Migration
Continuing her speech, von der Leyen referred to the situation in Gaza and the violence in the West Bank, stating that the suffering of the people in Gaza and the recent violence have significantly impacted Europeans. She expressed concern about the Israeli government's decision to advance the illegal E1 settlement project, calling it unacceptable.
Von der Leyen also addressed the issue of migration and Europe's external borders, referencing recent incidents in the northern African neighborhood of Spain where thousands of migrants attempted to cross the border. She noted that these incidents, despite their differing nature, share common elements.
Finally, von der Leyen emphasized that Europe must have the necessary tools to protect its external borders, especially when collective movements become "engineered and armed." She announced the European Commission's proposal for sanctions against traffickers and smugglers, stating that these sanctions are in line with supporting the values of the European Union.
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