Speaking at her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen described the world as "openly hostile" and said solidarity among EU members was the only way forward.
"Our path is clear: building an independent Europe that has the power to act," she said.
The EU faces war on its borders with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, while also dealing with trade tensions and competition from China and the United States.
Von der Leyen also cited political challenges within the bloc, including the growing popularity of far-right and Eurosceptic parties.
"The state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been; the state of our Union can also feel as precarious as it has ever been," she said.
'Emergency security protocol'
Von der Leyen proposed creating a European Security Council that could bring together EU member states and partners including Canada, Britain and Norway.
She also proposed an "emergency security protocol" that would allow EU countries to trigger discussions among member states in response to crises.
"Europe needs its own counter-hybrid playbook," von der Leyen said, referring to threats such as sabotage.
Under the proposed protocol, she said, an attack or other crisis affecting one member state could trigger a coordinated European response, the Reuters news agency reported.
Closer ties with Canada: 'first associate member of the EU'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney received a warm welcome from European lawmakers as he arrived to hear the speech.
"We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible," von der Leyen said. "So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU."
Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada shared interests on issues ranging from artificial intelligence and climate change to the Arctic, defence, raw materials and supply chains.
"Partnerships are a strategic choice for Europe, but they also respond to the fracture in the international rules-based system," she said.
Action on China trade deficit
Von der Leyen said the EU would use all available tools to reduce what she called an unsustainable trade deficit with China.
The bloc's goods trade deficit with China amounted to about EUR 1 billion a day last year, according to von der Leyen. She said the imbalance had reached a tipping point, Reuters reported.
"Let me be clear: We will use all the tools at our disposal to rebalance our relationship," she said. "Words are good, but deeds are better."
She also said the EU would maintain its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while stepping up measures to adapt to climate change, following a summer of extreme heat and wildfires.
Emergency framework for large migrant inflows
The European Commission will propose an emergency framework to respond to sudden, large-scale inflows of migrants, von der Leyen said.
The framework would address what she called "engineered and weaponised" mass movements of migrants and would be activated only when strictly defined criteria are met.
It would allow "time-limited and strictly defined flexibility in standard procedures" in exceptional circumstances, she said.
"We will always comply with our values and fundamental rights, but we will never compromise on protecting our borders," von der Leyen said.
Winter support for Ukraine
Von der Leyen pledged the EU's "strongest-ever support to Ukraine" over the coming winter, which she described as likely to be the toughest of the war.
"Together with our partners, we will provide humanitarian aid and reinforce Ukraine's supplies of power and heating," she said.
She also called for stronger Ukrainian air defences and said US Patriot interceptor missiles needed to be delivered urgently.
At the same time, she said the EU and Ukraine should work together to reduce dependence on a single supplier by developing an "affordable, modular missile defence system," with Ukraine's Freya project at its centre.
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Source: Reuters, IAR/PAP, ec.europa.eu