Cyber: towards stronger EU capabilities for effective operational cooperation, solidarity and resilience

The Commission propose regulation to tackle cyber threats and incidents.

On the 18 April 2023, the Commission has adopted a proposal for the EU Cyber Solidarity Act to strengthen cybersecurity capacities in the EU. It will support detection and awareness of cybersecurity threats and incidents, bolster preparedness of critical entities, as well as reinforce solidarity, concerted crisis management and response capabilities across Member States.

The Cyber Solidarity Act establishes EU capabilities to make Europe more resilient and reactive in front of cyber threats, while strengthening existing cooperation mechanism.  It will contribute to ensuring a safe and secure digital landscape for citizens and businesses and to protecting critical entities and essential services, such as hospitals and public utilities.

The Commission has also presented a Cybersecurity Skills Academy, as part of the 2023 European Year of Skills, to ensure a more coordinated approach towards closing the cybersecurity talent gap, a pre-requisite to boosting Europe’s resilience. The Academy will bring together various existing initiatives aimed at promoting cybersecurity skills and will make them available on an online platform, thereby increasing their visibility and boosting the number of skilled cybersecurity professionals in the EU.

The Commission has also proposed today a targeted amendment to the Cybersecurity Act, to enable the future adoption of European certification schemes for ‘managed security services’.

Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market, said:

“Today marks the proposal of a European cyber shield. To effectively detect, respond, and recover from large-scale cybersecurity threats, it is imperative that we invest substantially and urgently in cybersecurity capabilities. The Cyber Solidarity Act is a critical milestone in our journey towards achieving this objective.“

Compliments of the European Commission.