Bulgarian Presidency brings the EU a step closer to a common cybersecurity certification framework

With Bulgaria's Minister for Information Technology and Communications Ivaylo Moskovski as chair, the telecommunications ministers of the EU Member States today confirmed their position on draft EU rules to ensure that products and services in the digital world are safe to use.

On the second day of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting in Luxembourg, ministers confirmed the Council’s general approach on the proposed Cybersecurity Act, which will also upgrade the current European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) to a permanent EU agency for cybersecurity.

"We all want our devices to be secure. This new certification framework will increase trust and confidence in innovative digital solutions."

Under the draft rules, products such as connected cars and smart medical devices will be able to get special certificates confirming that they are safe to operate in the digital environment. Certificates issued under the schemes will be valid in all EU countries, making the process easier and more reliable for customers and businesses alike. Certificates will be voluntary unless further EU or member state legislation makes them mandatory.

The draft rules also make it clear that the ENISA agency will play a key role in supporting member states, EU institutions and other stakeholders on cyber issues.

Today ministers also took stock of the progress that the Bulgarian Presidency has made on advancing the proposed privacy rules for electronic communications (ePrivacy rules).

They also discussed the proposal to promote re-use of public sector information, thus guiding future work in the Council on this dossier.

Information about the discussions on the first day of the Council meeting is available here.

More information about today’s meeting is available here.

Pictures and videos are here.