EU institutions agree on creation of a Cybersecurity Competence Centre to coordinate Union activities in developing and deploying cybersecurity solutions.
The negotiations on the new Cybersecurity Competence Centre and Network of the European Union (EU) have been finalised between the European Parliament and the EU Council. This new entity will serve to improve and strengthen technology and industrial cybersecurity capacities of the EU and help create a safe online environment, by coordinating EU efforts in researching, developing and deploying cybersecurity solutions. By strengthening European cybersecurity capacities, it will help shield the European societies from cyberattacks, and promote research excellence and reinforce the competitiveness of the Union’s industry in this field.
The new entity comprises the Cybersecurity Competence Centre, which will be located in Bucharest, and the Network of National Coordination Centres. The Centre and the Network will pool resources from the EU, its Member States and the industry to improve and strengthen technology and industrial cybersecurity capacities, enhancing the EU’s open strategic autonomy. The Centre will also manage the cybersecurity funds under the next long-term EU budget, by sourcing funding from the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe, as well as contributions from Member States.
The governance structure of the Centre foresees a central role only for Member States and the national coordination centres, as well as the European Commission. However, the broader cybersecurity competence community, composed of stakeholders from the research community, public authorities, private sector cybersecurity actors, as well as end users, will also be actively engaged in designing policy and roadmaps for the reinforcement of European digital security. This community will be composed of entities certified by the EU and based on the four current preparatory pilot projects that are laying the groundwork for the Centre and the roadmap of its cybersecurity activities.
The Centre and the Network together will enhance European technological sovereignty through large-scale cybersecurity projects in areas such as cyber threat intelligence, cyber secured hardware and operating systems, and security certification. They will also allow the relevant stakeholders within the broader competence community to gain access to key capacities, such as testing and experimentation facilities, which are often beyond the reach of individual Member States due to insufficient financial and human resources.
Following the political agreement, the formal adoption by the European Parliament and the Council are expected to take place in January 2021. The European Commission will then start setting up the Cybersecurity Competence Centre.