Today, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy presented the new EU Cybersecurity Strategy. The strategy answers to the challenges of geopolitical competition in cyberspace, and the increased cyber threat landscape, especially following the covid-19 pandemic. It allows the EU to increase its resilience and show leadership in cyberspace; build capacities to prevent, deter and respond to cyber-attacks; and strengthen its partnerships in favour of a global and open cyberspace.
The Joint Communication underlines the strong internal-external nexus on cybersecurity and balances both technological sovereignty and the need for international cooperation at the same time. The new Cybersecurity Strategy covers five policy domains with over 20 concrete proposals that contribute to a stronger Europe in cyberspace, including:
- Enhancing international security to contribute to responsible state behaviour in cyberspace;
- Strengthening the EU’s cyber diplomacy toolbox to prevent, deter and respond to cyber-attacks;
- Stepping up cyber defence coordination and cooperation and building cyber defence capabilities;
- Strengthening and expanding international partnerships and exchanges with international organisations, partner countries, and civil society, academia and private sector;
- Increasing the scope, scale, effectiveness and efficiency of EU external cyber capacity building.
Background
Starting from the 2013 EU Cybersecurity strategy, the EU has developed a coherent and holistic international cyber policy. Working with its partners at bilateral, regional and international level, the EU has promoted a global, open, stable and secure cyberspace guided by EU’s core values and grounded in the rule of law.
Furthermore, the EU has supported third countries in increasing their cyber resilience and ability to tackle cybercrime, and has used its 2017 EU cyber diplomacy toolbox to further contribute to international security and stability in cyberspace, including by listing 8 individuals and 4 entities and bodies under its 2019 horizontal cyber sanctions regime.
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The EU has made significant progress also on cyber defence cooperation, including as regards cyber defence capabilities, notably in the framework of its Cyber Defence Policy Framework (CDPF), as well as in the context of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the work of the European Defence Agency.
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