Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU member states struck a deal to step up cybersecurity in the European Union.
The agreement ensures EU countries are better able to “prepare, prevent, respond, and recover from large-scale cyber threats or incidents,” a statement announcing the deal said.
Belgium chaired the talks as the current holder of the rotating EU presidency.
Belgian Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Mathieu Michel said the deal sets “new milestones for Europe’s cyber-resilience.”
Under the new regulations, electricity networks, factories, airports, and hospitals are to be better prepared for cybersecurity threats like hacker attacks.
A main part of the package is an alert system made up of national and cross-border information hubs in the EU.
These centres are charged with detecting and acting on cyber threats.
The idea is to boost efficiency and strengthen the existing cybersecurity networks to respond faster and more proactively.
Another addition is a European certification system for security services.
The aim is to ensure trust in cybersecurity service providers.
Private companies must also prepare an emergency response service to intervene at the request of an EU country or EU institution in case of a large-scale cybersecurity incident.
The European Parliament and the EU member states must adopt the agreed regulations but this is considered a formality.
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