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Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has led the charge for EU leaders to pin down what the bloc’s mutual defence clause could look like – and how it could be used to support the security of the union.
That push has now moved from political debate into formal EU structures, with the issue discussed on Monday afternoon at a behind close doors meeting of the Political and Security Committee—an ambassadorial body responsible for foreign affairs and security matters— according to several EU officials.
One of them confirmed the meeting to Euronews but declined to comment further, describing it as a “confidential exercise.”
Article 42.7 of the Treaty of the European Union stipulates if a member state is the “victim of armed aggression” on its territory, other EU countries have an “obligation of aid and assistance”.
Discussions surrounding the clause first erupted when US President Donald Trump reiterated his threats of buying Greenland whilst not ruling out forced capture of the arctic island.
This sent alarm bells ringing for the NATO military alliance as well as members of the EU, as Greenland is autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Christodoulides brought the discussion to a head last month at an informal meeting among European leaders in the Cyprus capital, Nicosia, a month after an Iranian-made drone struck a British military base on the Mediterranean island.
The Cypriot leader said that the clause needs to be clarified in full, from start to finish.
“Suppose France invokes the article. Which countries should be the first to respond?” he asked. “What are that country’s needs? All of that will be set out in a blueprint, to have an operational plan that can be activated if a country invokes the article.”
Christodoulides’s remarks were echoed by European Council President António Costa, who mentioned in his invitation letter to those attending the summit that the “challenging geopolitical and security environment” would be discussed in relation to Article 42.7.
The European External Action Service, chairing the tabletop exercise, is also working on a report explaining how the processes would function.
When asked by Euronews what specific scenarios are being examined on Monday, European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper did not disclose details.
She reiterated that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has previously said discussions are ongoing. On Monday, the focus will be on “how to support member states and the implementation of the mutual assistance clause,” she said.
Kallas has previously clarified to Euronews that triggering the treaty’s collective defence clause does not contravene Article 5 of the NATO military alliance, which states an attack on one is an attack on all 32 members.
She also said the tabletop exercise will span three scenarios.
The first will be a simulated attack on an EU country that is not a NATO ally, such as Austria, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta. The second is an attack on a country that is a member of the EU and NATO, to see how the clauses correspond. The final is an attack that falls below NATO’s threshold because of its hybrid nature.
“There’s a very strong European pillar in NATO that is there and is actually stronger now because we are all making more investments in our defence,” she added.
The EU’s mutual defence clause has only been invoked once. It was by France in 2015 following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
EU member states responded to the request unanimously by providing intelligence sharing and logistical aid.
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