Cybersecurity: Joint Statement by Vice-President Ansip and Commissioner Gabriel on political agreement from the Council - Hoofdinhoud

The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached by the Telecommunications Council on a general approach on the Cybersecurity Act, which was presented by President Jean-Claude Juncker i in his annual State of the Union Address in 2017.

Vice-President Andrus Ansip i, responsible for the Digital Single Market, and Commissioner Mariya Gabriel i, in charge of Digital Economy and Society, issued the following statement:

"We are pleased that the Council adopted today a general approach on the Cybersecurity Act proposals. Today's agreement opens the door to transform and strengthen the mandate of European Union Agency for Network and Information and Security (ENISA) into the EU's Cybersecurity Agency which will support Member States with tackling cybersecurity threats and attacks. Additionally, the proposal aims to establish an EU framework for cybersecurity certification, boosting the cybersecurity of online services and consumer devices.

Strengthening Europe's cybersecurity is the only way to assure a strong and viable Digital Single Market for the benefit of all.

It is vital for Member States to work together in building a more cyber secure European Union and avoid the complication of different national laws.

We would also like to congratulate and thank the Bulgarian Presidency for their hard work to find a consensus on this important file, only nine months after we presented our proposal in September 2017. Their work paves the way for the Austrian Presidency to soon reach a final compromise with the European Parliament and adopt the package before the end of 2018."

Background

In September 2017, the Commission proposed a wide-ranging set of measures to deal with cyber-attacks and to build strong cybersecurity in the EU. This included the Cybersecurity package, a proposal for strengthening the EU Agency for Cybersecurity as well as a new European certification framework, ensuring that products and services in the digital world are cybersecure.

For More Information

State of the Union 2017 - Cybersecurity: Commission scales up EU's response to cyber-attacks

Factsheet: An EU Cybersecurity Agency and an EU framework for cybersecurity certification

Factsheet: What does the NIS Directive mean for the EU Citizens?

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