The new European cybersecurity competence centre and network [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Mar Negreiro with Alessia Belluomini and Polona Car (5th edition, updated on 03.06.2024). On 13 September 2017, the Commission adopted a cybersecurity package with a series of initiatives to further improve EU cyber-resilience, deterrence and defence. A year later, the Commission presented a proposal for the creation of a European cybersecurity competence centre with a related network of national coordination centres. The initiative aimed to improve and strengthen the EU’s cybersecurity capacity, by stimulating the European technological and industrial cybersecurity ecosystem as well as coordinating and pooling necessary resources in Europe. The competence centre was supposed to become the main body that would manage EU financial resources dedicated to cybersecurity research under the two proposed programmes – Digital Europe and Horizon Europe – within the next multiannual financial framework, for 2021-2027. Within the European Parliament, the file was assigned to the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). The report was adopted on 19 February 2019 in the ITRE committee. On 17 April 2019 the Parliament adopted its position at first reading, after two trilogue meetings, before the European elections. A new trilogue meeting took place more than a year later, on 25 June 2020, and further negotiations followed. During the fifth trilogue meeting on 11 December 2020, the negotiators of the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement. The Council adopted the legislation in April 2021 at first reading. The ITRE committee made its recommendation for second reading in April 2021, and Parliament adopted the text during the May 2021 plenary session. It entered into force on 28 June 2021.

Versions

• May 2024: ‘The new European cybersecurity competence centre and network‘ (5th edition)

Proposal for a regulation establishing the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre and the Network of National Coordination Centres
Committee responsible:	Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)	COM(2018) 630 of 12.09.2018
Rapporteur:	Rasmus Andresen (Greens/EFA, Germany)	2018/0328(COD)
Shadow rapporteurs:	Pilar Del Castillo Vera (EPP, Spain), Jens Geier (S&D, Germany), Claudia Gamon (Renew, Austria), Evžen Tošenovský (ECR, Czech Republic), Marc Botenga (GUE/NGL, Belgium)	Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)
Procedure completed	Regulation (EU) 2021/887 OJ L 202, 8.6.2021, pp. 1-31