EU chief wants joint response to cyberattacks, sabotage

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed an Emergency Security Protocol in her State of the Union address that would let any single EU member state convene all 27 governments to coordinate responses to cyberattacks, sabotage, and drone…

In her annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed an Emergency Security Protocol, modeled on NATO Article 4, that would allow a single EU member state to summon all 27 governments to coordinate joint responses to cyberattacks, sabotage, and drone incursions (The Record also lists arson among the cited threats). The proposal is part of a broader European security strategy that includes a European Security Council with partners such as the UK, Canada, Norway, and Ukraine, plus a European Instrument for Strategic Enablers supporting cyber and defense capabilities. Von der Leyen said threats facing Europe were mounting, citing rising incidents in Denmark, Lithuania, and Poland, and an attempted drone attack in Leipzig. She did not specify whether the EU's unanimous decision-making rules would change.

• Emergency Security Protocol proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg
• Protocol is modeled on NATO Article 4 and can be triggered by a single EU member state, convening all 27 governments
• Threats covered include cyberattacks, sabotage, and drone incursions; The Record additionally cites arson
• Broader strategy includes a European Security Council with partners such as the UK, Canada, Norway, and Ukraine
• European Instrument for Strategic Enablers would support cyber and defense capabilities
• Von der Leyen cited rising incidents in Denmark, Lithuania, and Poland, and an attempted drone attack in Leipzig
• It remains unclear whether unanimous EU decision-making rules would change under the proposal