Von Der Leyen Called For The Creation Of A European Counterpart To NATO's Article 4

• 16.09.2026, 12:01

EU countries will be able to respond jointly to threats even before an armed attack occurs.

The European Union needs its own set of rules to counter hybrid threats, following the example of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This was stated by European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen, according to Die Zeit.

She emphasized that the European Union needs a common mechanism to respond to incidents that do not fall under the definition of an armed attack but nevertheless pose a threat to the national security of EU countries.

“We need a mechanism that would complement Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. I believe the time has come to create a European counterpart to Article 4—a protocol for emergency security response,” von der Leyen stated.

NATO’s Article 4 allows alliance members to hold consultations if one of them believes that its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is under threat. Any NATO member may request such consultations, after which the matter is brought before the North Atlantic Council for discussion.
However, invoking Article 4 does not entail the mandatory use of military force. Unlike Article 5, it does not create an obligation for allies to defend a state facing a threat.

According to the President of the European Commission, the European protocol could operate on a similar principle. Once activated by one of the EU countries, member states would convene to coordinate joint measures aimed at preventing escalation and minimizing potential damage.