BRUSSELS, 24th April, 2026 (WAM) -- The European Commission has announced that it is preparing a "guiding plan" to define the European Union's response mechanisms in the event of activation of the mutual assistance clause stipulated in Article 42.7 of the Treaty of the European Union.

This step aims to strengthen European defence readiness and clarify the practical procedures associated with this clause.

This was stated by President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides on the sidelines of the Informal Meeting of Heads of State or Government held in Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the Union.

Article 42.7 stipulates that all member states are obliged to provide support to a member state subjected to armed aggression, with such support ranging from diplomatic backing and technical and medical assistance to civil or military support. This clause has only been activated once, following the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015.

The European Parliament had previously called for enhancing the operational value of Article 42.7 and for specifying the practical arrangements for its more precise activation.

For its part, Cyprus has strongly pushed for including this issue among its priorities, in the context of the repercussions of tensions in the Middle East. Cyprus is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which prevents it from benefiting from the protection of Article Five of the alliance.

President Christodoulides stated that there are a number of questions that require clear answers, including determining which countries should take the initiative in providing support first, and the nature of the needs required for each case. He affirmed that the anticipated plan will provide a practical framework that can be activated when necessary.

In a related context, Prime Minister of Belgium Bart De Wever expressed his support for the principle of clarifying the mechanisms for implementing the article, in line with the Union's ambitions to strengthen its defence autonomy. Conversely, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Rob Jetten stressed that NATO remains the main pillar of his country's military security.