Council agrees to strengthen EU cyberspace

The last Monday, the Council approved Lconclusions on developing the Union’s cyber posture. The posture aims to demonstrate the EU’s determination to provide immediate and long-term responses to threat actors seeking to deny the EU a secure and open access to cyberspace and affect its strategic interests, including the security of its partners.

Cybersecurity initiatives

In the conclusions Council highlights the five functions of the EU in the cyber domain:

1. strengthen resilience and capacities to protect;
2. enhance solidarity and comprehensive crisis management;
3. promote the EU’s vision of cyberspace;
4. enhance cooperation with partner countries and international organisations;
5. prevent, defend against and respond to cyber-attacks.

Council and European Parliament agree to strengthen cybersecurity across EU

Ministers, among other things, call upon the Commission to propose EU common cybersecurity requirements for connected devices and associated processes and services, invites relevant authorities such as the EU’s Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) to formulate recommendations in order to reinforce the resilience of communications networks and infrastructure within the EU and stresses the importance of establishing regular cyber exercises in order to test and develop the EU internal and external response to large-scale cyber incidents.

Background

Cyberspace has become an arena for geopolitical competition and therefore the EU must be able to swiftly and forcefully respond to cyberattacks, such as state-sponsored malicious cyber activities targeting the EU and its Member States and make full use of all its instruments. Hostile actors need to be aware that cyberattacks against Member States and EU institutions will be detected early, identified promptly and met with all necessary tools and policies.

Source: Press release – European Council