Cooperation and solidarity: cybersecurity is being built at the European Union level

The projects launched in recent years, from the NIS Directive to the Cybersecurity Act, from the 5G Toolbox to the awareness-raising during the European Cybersecurity Month, have enabled the construction of a common and shared cybersecurity framework in Europe.

In the first half of 2022, France will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU and will seize this opportunity to strengthen the EU's sovereignty in the field of cybersecurity by building on the solid foundations established over the past 5 years. Faced with a growing cyber threat, the French action plan focuses on four themes.

First, France wants to make progress in the negotiations on the revision of the NIS Directive and thus promote a high level of cybersecurity among a wider range of actors in line with the evolution of the cyber threat.

Secondly, the French Presidency will be committed to advancing the establishment of a cybersecurity framework for the EU institutions, which is essential for the protection and affirmation of European sovereignty.

Then, France supports the development of a trusted European industrial base. This will involve monitoring the implementation of the European Center for Industrial, Technological and Research Competence in Cybersecurity and a European security certification framework. As a guarantee of trust, European certification offers immense possibilities for security providers and products. Several schemes are already being developed, such as the European Common Criteria, as well as a scheme for the Cloud and one for 5G.

Finally, France would like to initiate discussions on the issue of EU solidarity in the event of a major incident or crisis of cyber origin. The implementation of assistance mechanisms could then be studied, relying on the private ecosystem of European cybersecurity. The capacity building of States and private trust providers as well as the participation in cooperation networks are essential prerequisites to initiate this discussion. In this context, the ANSSI and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs are studying the opportunity to organize a high-level exercise to establish the link between the CyCLONe network and the political decision-makers of each member state.

"The key is teamwork. European institutions, national cybersecurity agencies and private companies, let's mobilize to build the European Union's cybersecurity in the long term" says Guillaume Poupard, director-general of ANSSI.

To review the history of the construction of European sovereignty in cybersecurity and to discover future perspectives, ANSSI publishes today a new issue of its Papiers numériques: European cybersecurity: history of a cultural transformation, available on its website.

Press release - Cooperation and solidarity: cybersecurity is being built at the European Union level