About

Supporting the EU’s cyber diplomacy

EU Cyber Direct - EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative is an EU-funded project focused on policy support, research, outreach and capacity building in the field of cyber diplomacy. It builds on the achievements of the work that was launched already in 2018.

Our objective is to identify opportunities for increased convergence between the EU and other stakeholders on the application of existing international law in cyberspace and development of cyber norms and confidence building measures. We look at the ongoing cyber-related process at the global, regional and national levels.

EU Cyber Direct also aims to increase participation of different stakeholder groups in regional and global debates on responsible behaviour and resilience in cyberspace through building capacities and sharing knowledge about the EU’s standards, policies and good practices.

The EU Cyber Direct focuses on four key themes:

• conflict prevention and advancing responsible behaviour in cyberspace through international law, norms, and confidence-building measures (CBMs), 
• cyber resilience and critical infrastructure protection,
• cybercrime and criminal justice in cyberspace, and 
• new and emerging technologies with a potential disruptive effect.  
  

Team Members

EU Cyber Direct is implemented jointly by the EU Institute for Security Studies (coordinator) in cooperation with the Leiden University’s Institute for Security and Global Affairs and Carnegie Europe. The core team of experts will be supported by a network of associated experts and external collaborators who form the global Cyber Diplomacy Network.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board of EU Cyber Direct provides additional guidance concerning the EU Cyber Direct priorities and planned activities. The Board meets once a year in the margin of the European Cyber Diplomacy Dialogue and for additional virtual meetings, if necessary. The Advisory Board is composed of practitioners and scholars working on cyber-related issues and EU foreign policy. 

• Frederick Douzet, Paris 8 University, Co-Chair
• Timo Koster, former Cyber Ambassador, Co-Chair
  
• Sven Herpig, SNV
• Stephanie Hofmann, Robert Schuman Centre, EUI
• Joanna Kulesza, University of Lodz
  
• Xymena Kurowska, Central European University
  
• Antonio Missiroli, Leiden University
  
• Teija Tilikainen, Centre of Excellence on Hybrid Threats
  
• Paul Timmers, Oxford University
  
• Pierre Vimont, Carnegie Europe
  

Funding

The EU Cyber Direct is funded by the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) at the European Commission.

First Phase

EU Cyber Direct is the continuation of the project launched in 2018 and implemented by the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV). During that period, the EU Cyber Direct team organised Cyber Consultations with all EU cyber dialogue partners, encouraged European reflection on cyber and digital issues through workshops and seminars, and delivered numerous publications on cyber-related issues.