European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed an Emergency Security Protocol that would allow any European Union member state to trigger a coordinated response to security incidents including cyberattacks, sabotage and drone incursions.
The proposal was announced during von der Leyen’s 2026 State of the Union address in Strasbourg, where she called for a new European security strategy in response to what she described as rising threats across the bloc. Recent incidents in Denmark, Lithuania and Poland, along with an attempted drone attack in Leipzig, were cited as examples of the changing security environment.
Emergency Security Protocol Would Bring EU Governments Together
Under the proposed Emergency Security Protocol, a single member state could trigger the mechanism, prompting all 27 EU governments to convene. The proposed framework would be designed to coordinate a European response, deter further escalation and mitigate the consequences of an incident.
Von der Leyen presented the mechanism as a European counterpart to NATO’s Article 4, which allows alliance members to consult when the territorial integrity, political independence or security of a member is threatened. The EU proposal, however, was presented as a mechanism for incidents that fall below the threshold of armed aggression but still pose a national security threat.
The proposal does not yet specify what decisions would follow such a meeting or whether the mechanism would create predetermined responses to specific types of incidents.
Cyberattacks and Hybrid Threats Drive Security Push
The Emergency Security Protocol comes as the EU considers how to respond to a broader range of hybrid threats. Von der Leyen cited cyberattacks, sabotage, arson and drone incursions as threats that are increasing across Europe.
She argued that existing EU institutions and decision-making processes have not kept pace with the changing security environment. As part of the proposed European security strategy, she called for a European counter-hybrid playbook and greater agreement on how member states should respond to incidents that threaten national security without amounting to conventional armed aggression.
The EU already has mutual-assistance and solidarity provisions. Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union provides for mutual assistance when a member state is the victim of armed aggression, while Article 222 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union contains a separate solidarity provision.
EU Security Council Also Proposed
Alongside the Emergency Security Protocol, von der Leyen proposed creating a European Security Council focused on the security of the continent.
The proposed format would include EU leaders and partners such as Canada, Norway, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The initiative is intended to provide a broader forum for discussions on European security as the bloc reassesses how it responds to emerging threats.
The Commission is also expected to outline further details through its forthcoming European security strategy.
Decision-Making Questions Remain
The proposed mechanism comes as questions remain over how quickly the EU can reach collective decisions during security crises. Many decisions under the bloc’s common foreign and security policy require unanimity, meaning individual governments can block measures supported by other member states. EU sanctions are also adopted unanimously.
Von der Leyen did not specify whether the proposed protocol would change those decision-making rules, establish agreed responses in advance or primarily provide a framework for consultation.
She also announced a European Instrument for Strategic Enablers, covering capabilities including air and missile defence, strategic transport, air-to-air refuelling, space systems and cyber capabilities. The initiative is intended to be aligned with NATO.
The Emergency Security Protocol, European security strategy and proposed European Security Council form part of a wider effort outlined in the 2026 State of the Union address to strengthen coordination around Europe’s changing security environment. Further details are expected as the Commission develops its proposed security strategy.
