On 29 September 2025, EU and NATO policy makers, industry representatives, academics, and civil society experts gathered in Brussels for a workshop on strengthening Europe’s cyber deterrence.
The workshop, part of the Accountability and Deterrence Workstream of the European Cyber Agora 2025, explored how the EU and NATO can deepen cooperation to address cyber threats, and how broader multistakeholder partnerships, including public-private partnerships, non-profits, academia, and civil society can enhance attribution efforts and support more robust deterrence strategies. The workshop was divided into two parts:
Session I: ‘Strengthening EU’s Cyber Deterrence Strategy: EU-NATO Synergies in Focus’ The first part of the session examined how the EU and NATO can reinforce one another in countering state-sponsored cyber threats. Speakers discussed opportunities for closer alignment of policies, frameworks, and operational capacities to strengthen collective resilience and deterrence. The debate highlighted both the challenges and the potential of deeper EU-NATO cooperation, particularly in attribution, joint exercises, and coordinated responses to build a more credible and effective cyber deterrence posture.
Session II: ‘Strengthening EU’s Cyber Deterrence: Leveraging the Multistakeholder Community’’ The second part of the session explored how public-private partnerships, non-profits, academia, and civil society can reinforce EU attribution efforts and contribute to a more comprehensive deterrence strategy. Discussions focused on practical ways to deepen collaboration, overcome barriers to trust and information-sharing, and harness diverse expertise for a more effective and sustainable cyber deterrence framework.
The workstream workshops aim to foster an interactive environment and encouraging open dialogue among a diverse group of participants.
