Activation of Article 42(7) TEU France’s request for assistance and Member States’ responses

Following the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015, France requested aid and assistance from the other EU Member States based on Article 42(7) TEU. This represented the first activation of the mutual assistance clause since the Lisbon Treaty introduced it in 2009.

Member States expressed their solidarity and political support to France instantly and unanimously. Within days, several Member States, including Germany and the United Kingdom, decided on a series of contributions. More decisions followed or are still pending, subject, in some cases, to parliamentary approval. This allows France to reconsider its engagements and redeploy its military. There is also a window of opportunity to strengthen political cooperation, as Member States have expressed their full support for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria. Furthermore, it could contribute to enhancing intelligence-sharing and the stepping up of counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly in the aftermath of the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks in Brussels.

[This is the second update of a briefing published in December 2015 and first updated in April 2016].

Authors: Suzana Elena Anghel and Carmen-Cristina Cirlig

EP: EPRS: Briefing: EU Legislation in Progress http://epthinktank.eu/eu-legislation-in-progress/

ESO: Background information: The EU’s mutual assistance clause: The first ever activation of article 42(7) TEU http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-eus-mutual-assistance-clause-the-first-ever-activation-of-article-427-teu/

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