Parliament wants a stronger response from the EU to hybrid threats

In a report adopted on Wednesday, Parliament states that the security environment facing the Union is neither a state of peace nor an open armed conflict, and describes hybrid operations as deliberate, combined, intelligence-driven and coordinated actions by states, including through non-state actors, intermediaries and representatives. Their aim is to destabilise the EU and its Member States, simultaneously encompassing multiple areas (information and cognitive warfare, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure). Designed to appear as isolated incidents and to remain below the threshold of armed conflict, despite having the potential to produce effects comparable to those of conventional aggression, MEPs highlight the difficulty of attributing responsibility for them and responding to them effectively.

Parliament identifies Russia, either directly or through other actors such as Belarus, as the state actor posing the greatest hybrid threat to the Union and its Member States. China, Iran, North Korea and other countries have also carried out hybrid campaigns aimed at undermining European democracies and eroding the Union’s security interests, the text adds.

From fragmentation to a decisive response

In an unstable security environment, the EU must shift from a reactive to a proactive strategy, which includes using its capabilities to disrupt, deter and respond to hybrid threats, and credibly raise the cost of hostile actions. According to MEPs, effectively combating hybrid threats requires prevention, early warning of threats and continuous monitoring of strategic vulnerabilities to neutralise hostile actions before they have systemic effects, as well as a shared understanding of the threats.

Parliament urges Member States to step up intelligence-sharing and calls for the effective strengthening of the Single Intelligence Analysis Capability (SIAC), which should serve as the single hub for intelligence within the Union’s institutions.

The report calls for formal recognition of the EU’s coordination and support role in aggregating cross-border data to detect patterns of coordinated hybrid campaigns that no Member State can identify on its own, as well as in coordinating the development of common situational awareness and attribution procedures. MEPs also want the EU to adopt a cross-cutting action plan against hybrid warfare.

Aware of the limits of EU action, MEPs stress the importance of respecting the sovereignty of Member States, the ‘need-to-know’ principle and the protection of classified national information.

Finally, the report calls for greater cooperation between the EU and NATO to strengthen Europe’s preparedness, resilience and deterrence in the face of hybrid threats. 

The text was adopted with 470 votes in favour, 129 against and 62 abstentions.