Speaking during her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament, von der Leyen suggested that the proposed forum could include European Union member states along with Britain, Norway, Ukraine, Canada and other partner countries.
She said Europe needed to strengthen its joint capabilities as hybrid threats, including cyberattacks, sabotage, arson and drone incursions, continue to increase.
Von der Leyen also proposed a “Counter-Hybrid Playbook” and an emergency security protocol that would allow European countries to consult and coordinate a joint response when a member state faces a serious hybrid threat.
The mechanism would be similar to NATO’s Article 4 consultations, while operating within the European Union’s own institutional framework.
The European Commission president stressed that Europe should take greater responsibility for its own security while maintaining and strengthening cooperation with NATO.
The proposals are aimed at adapting Europe’s existing security arrangements to emerging forms of threats. However, questions remain over how the proposed Security Council and emergency mechanism would operate in practice and whether they could overlap with existing NATO structures.
The European Commission has yet to announce the full composition, powers and operational details of the proposed council.