At an informal summit in Cyprus, European Union leaders discussed how the bloc’s countries should support each other in the event of an attack. According to Politico, the discussion concerned Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty, which provides for mutual assistance to member states in the event of external aggression.
The issue was raised by Cyprus, which remains outside NATO and therefore seeks clearer security guarantees from the European Union. The summit took place on April 23-24, and one of the main topics was an attempt to determine how to use the European support mechanism without creating competition for Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
Article 42.7 enshrines the principle of assistance, but its practical application still remains unclear. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged that the document stipulates a duty of support, but there is no clear procedure regarding the moment of its launch and those responsible for coordinating actions.
The countries of the EU’s eastern flank, which feel the greatest threat from Russia, advocate that new European security instruments strengthen NATO, without duplicating its key mechanisms. It is important for them that the European Union’s defense policy does not create contradictions with the Alliance’s collective security system.
The Cypriot Foreign Minister explained that Article 42.7 is not limited to military assistance. According to him, it can include diplomatic, technical, medical support, as well as civilian or military measures depending on the specific situation.
As a result, the European Union is trying to make its own mutual assistance mechanism clearer and more practical, while maintaining NATO’s central role in European security.
