European Council President Antonio Costa rings the bell during a summit of the European Union and regional partners’ leaders in Nicosia (Lefkosia), Cyprus, on April 24, 2026. [Yiannis Kourtoglou/Reuters]
Leaders from Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy met on the sidelines of an informal EU summit in Ayia Napa on Friday, issuing a joint declaration to coordinate efforts to prevent a new migration crisis similar to the one that struck Europe in 2015.
The meeting came against the backdrop of continuing tensions in the Middle East, which European officials fear could trigger fresh waves of displacement toward the continent’s southern shores.
Italy submitted a non-paper outlining specific contingency measures that could be activated if migratory pressure intensifies. The proposals included temporary exceptions to standard procedures previously employed during the 2015 crisis, among them mandatory relocations across all EU member-states, suspension of the Dublin Regulation, emergency rescue operations and the temporary reintroduction of border controls.
Cyprus also pushed a broader security agenda. President Nikos Christodoulides called for a concrete operational plan to activate Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty – the bloc’s mutual defense clause, sometimes called “the European Article 5 of NATO.” Speaking at a press conference following the session, Christodoulides said the provision “cannot remain theoretical” and must become “fully operational,” warning that the EU cannot credibly claim strategic autonomy otherwise. He added that member-states from across the union’s geographic spectrum would submit proposals to the European Commission.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece would use its EU Council presidency in the second half of 2027 to further elevate these discussions.
Leaders also addressed the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034. European Council President Antonio Costa set a target of reaching agreement by the end of 2026, with detailed figures to be prepared by the Cypriot presidency ahead of the June summit.
The informal council concluded with discussions between European leaders and their counterparts from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.