Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility

We all know that cyber-related issues are a hot topic, but do you know when they started being discussed by the Council? Read on for an overview of the history of cybersecurity in our institution.

It was in 2012, under the Cypriot presidency, that a dedicated forum was set up for cyber issues: the Friends of the Presidency Group on Cyber Issues. The creation of this group improved the internal coordination of work in a growing subject area, which was much needed for the development of an integrated and comprehensive EU approach to the topic.

Four years later, in 2016, a further step was taken and a permanent, cross-cutting platform for discussions on cyber issues was established. Since then, the Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues has been responsible for coordinating the Council's work on both policy and legislation, interacting closely with other relevant working parties as well as with the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), Europol, Eurojust, the Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).

From cybersecurity and cybercrime to cyber diplomacy and capacity building, the list of cyber-related issues the General Secretariat of the Council deals with is long and the ‘cyber family’ is diverse. The Council holds regular formal and informal meetings with key stakeholders at European and international level. It is important to remember that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility in which everyone has a role to play.

You can find more information on the Council website:

• Cibersegurança da UE: estratégia e principais políticas

The General Secretariat of the Council marks European Cybersecurity Month with a series of internal events to raise awareness of cybersecurity threats. The Council Library contributes to the campaign with reading suggestions. Here are the links if you have missed our previous posts:

• 'Introduction to cyber security'
• 'Cybersecurity law and policy'
• 'Artificial intelligence in the field of cybersecurity' – reading suggestions

Council users can find more information in the article published in Consilium Journal no 72, 10/2019 and on the Council intranet Domus on 15 October 2020.

You will find more resources on the subject in our Eureka catalogue.

Please note that access to some of the resources may be limited to Council registered users or subscribers.

This blog post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.

The Council library reading room is currently closed. The Info Desk remains open on line and will reply to queries by email from Monday to Friday, from 10.00 to 16.00.