EU PLANS NEW SECURITY FORUM TO COUNTER GROWING THREATS

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed the creation of a European Security Council to strengthen cooperation among European countries and partner nations in responding to emerging security threats. She made the proposal on Wednesday during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Von der Leyen said the proposed body could bring together EU members and partners including the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway and Ukraine. She said the initiative was becoming increasingly important because of the changing nature and scale of security risks facing Europe.

The European Commission president also called for a new emergency security mechanism that would allow EU countries to coordinate their response when one member state faces threats such as drone incursions, sabotage or cyberattacks. The proposed system would be similar to NATO's Article 4, which allows member countries to request consultations when they believe their security is under threat.

Her comments came after a series of security incidents across Europe, including drone activity and alleged acts of sabotage that several European governments have linked to Russia. NATO fighter jets also recently shot down a drone over Lithuania after it entered the country's airspace, highlighting concerns over how Europe should respond to incidents that fall below the threshold of conventional armed attacks.

Von der Leyen said the European Commission would develop further proposals to make the Security Council a reality. However, she did not provide detailed information on its structure, powers or how participating countries would make decisions, leaving those issues for further discussions among European governments and their international partners.