The clause on the mutual defense of the member states of the European Union (Article 42, paragraph 7 of the EU Treaty) is clearly written and there is no room for its different interpretation, French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Saturday. He made this statement after the leaders of the member states discussed the practical effects of the activation of this clause at an informal meeting of the European Council in Cyprus. TASR informs about it according to the Reuters and DPA agencies.
- Macron confirmed the clear interpretation of the EU’s mutual defense clause.
- EU leaders discussed the response to the possible activation of the clause.
- The discussion was influenced by concerns about the reliability of support from the US.
- The Commission will prepare a proposal for the procedure in case of activation of the clause.
The discussion on mutual defense within the EU has heated up recently, as US President Donald Trump has been criticizing other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states for not supporting the US in combat operations since the start of the war against Iran. Several member countries therefore fear whether Washington will come to their aid in the event of an attack.
The presidency of the EU Council, Cyprus, which is not a NATO member, also demanded to open the issue, since in March a British base on the island was hit by drones flying from Lebanon. According to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, the leaders agreed at the meeting that the European Commission would “prepare a proposal” on how the Union would react in the event of the activation of the mutual defense clause.
The interpretation is clear
“As for Article 42, paragraph 7, for us it is clear and there is, if I may say so, no room for different interpretation or ambiguity in this clause,” Macron said at a press conference in Greece together with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Article 42 par. 7 of the EU Treaty states that “in the event that a member state becomes a victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other member states are obliged to provide it with assistance and support by all available means, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations”. It was activated only once. France did so in 2015 after the Islamic State terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.
However, both Macron and the head of the Greek government emphasized that efforts to strengthen defense at the EU level should be seen more as a supplement to NATO. “I would say that NATO and the United States should be pleased that Europe is taking strategic autonomy seriously and investing more in defense. In this way, we are strengthening the European pillar of NATO,” Mitsotakis said.
During the visit, Macron and Mitsotakis also agreed to extend the mutual agreement on strategic cooperation for another five years, while they want to deepen cooperation especially in defense.
