In its Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy, the European Union has set an ambitious goal of becoming a ‘forward looking cyber player’. Consequently, the EU’s focus over the past few years has been on strengthening the protection of its critical assets and values in the digital world, notably by promoting a free, open and secure global Internet. Yet, barriers of technical, regulatory or simply financial nature often deny people the full benefits that digital developments can offer. Consequently, the EU has consistently supported efforts aimed at strengthening a stable and rules-based international order in cyberspace as well as creating a resilient and privacy-protecting environment that encourages innovation and growth, fair competition, high level of consumer protection, and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.
Why the EU Cyber Forum?
Over the past years, cyber-related policy issues – such as building cyber resilience, the fight against cybercrime, or stability in cyberspace – have become a permanent feature on the agendas of meetings between European policymakers and partners from around the world. This is not surprising, given that the European Union is one of the key actors in shaping the regulatory and institutional landscape in this domain. At the same time, however, the EU’s role, its policies and institutional set up are still poorly understood in other parts of the world.
Consequently, the EU Cyber Forum provides a platform where different EU actors and partner countries will have an opportunity to engage in an effort to gain a better understanding of their respective cyber policies, share best practices, and explore concrete ways of cooperation in the cyber domain.
What is the added value?
Organised in cooperation with the relevant services of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, the EU Cyber Forum brings together all relevant EU actors, including the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at the Europol and the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA). This whole-of-the-EU approach ensures that the agenda of the Forum remains policy relevant and feeds directly into the policy dialogues and cooperative arrangements that the EU pursues with partner countries. At the same time, the ‘Cyber Expo’ that accompanies the Forum gives the partner countries a chance to obtain information about concrete EU-funded external projects and initiatives with the cyber focus.
To learn more about the activities of our partners:
- European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA)
- Europol European Cybercrime Centre (EC3)
- GLACY+ (Council of Europe)
- Cyber4D (European Commission)
