Nikolas Farantouris calls for EU summit briefing on mutual defense clause

PASOK MEP Nikolas Farantouris has called on the Greek Prime Minister to brief EU counterparts at the upcoming summit on November 13 regarding the potential activation of the mutual defense clause.

Farantouris stated that Athens must warn EU partners that if Turkey proceeds with threats of obstruction or attack, Greece will request the activation of Article 42, paragraph 7 of the Treaty on European Union. This clause establishes a legal and political commitment to collective security, requiring member states to provide assistance through all available means, including military, financial, operational, and digital support, should a member state face an armed attack on its territory.

Article 42(7) operates on a bilateral level between member states, allowing for assistance while bypassing the more complex bureaucratic processes of official EU institutions. The clause has been invoked only once, by France following the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015.