EU pushes ahead with plan for a European Security Council
The European Commission proposes a new European Security Council to coordinate responses to hybrid threats such as drones, cyber attacks and sabotage.
Ursula von der Leyen announced a European Security Council this September to address growing hybrid threats, including recent drone attacks on commercial vessels in Bulgaria's Black Sea zone. The council is intended to gather EU heads of state and key allies—such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Ukraine and Canada—to coordinate faster on incidents that fall short of full-scale military conflict. It would meet regularly, set common response strategies, and work with an Emergency Security Protocol that can convene members quickly when a serious hybrid threat emerges.
The broader initiative also seeks tighter cooperation on cyber security, air defence, space systems and other shared capabilities. Some officials caution that the proposal may duplicate NATO structures, yet the Commission stresses that NATO will retain its role in collective defence while the new body adds a complementary layer.
Why it matters
A coordinated EU security body could improve rapid response to cyber and drone threats across Europe.
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