European Cybersecurity Competence Center's negociations

Tuesday 24^th September, the European Parliament’s Industry Committee formally approved the parliament to engage in Trilogue discussions with the Council and the Commission on spending an estimated €5 billion of joint EU-national research money on cybersecurity capabilities in the coming seven years of multi-annual.

MEP Rasmus Andresen (Green/EFA, Germany) was approved to lead the discussions as rapporteur. National attachés (COREPER) has tried this week to reach a joint position to start negotiating.

Talks between the Parliament and Council came to a deadlock

After the adoption of the European Parliament’s decision, the talks with the Council came to a deadlock

Negotiators on behalf of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the EU Council who stopped to negotiate ahead of the European elections, hit major snags:

The Budget

The Commission has proposed in it initial text to grant the future Centre with €2.5 billion from the EU budget, Member States were expected to match with national funds. Some countries have argued in favor of reversing the method by setting a fixed contribution and the Commission matching it.

Draft programmes for funding

Member States are divided over the writing of the funding programmes: (who decides where to invest). Most countries favor the new cybersecurity centre to take the lead, others expect the Commission to have more say because it manages the funding schemes.

Decision making process

Alike the other funding schemes, the initial proposal foreseen the Commission to have a blocking minority of vote when deciding on new budget lines and investment. For cybersecurity, Member States argue that the Commission should get one vote like any other country. They advocate the national competence in cybersecurity. It is a real red line for the Commission

Location of the future Centre

Member States and the Commission differ on the location. The first proposal was mentioning Brussels.

Non-EU organisations involvement

A mechanism to deny non-EU organisation to research funds has been decided in trilogues. it would be structured like cooperation on EU defense, where third countries are also cut out through a security review process.

Eurosmart has been advocating for such mechanism to avoid the involvement of non-EU partners within the Cybersecurity Center decision making mechanisms, such as the so-called “advisory board” which would draft the finding programmes’ orientation.

Contacted by Eurosmart, the rapporteur MEP Andresen said to be in line with our proposals (read Eurosmart's statement) stating that “that a balanced representation within the advisory board of the centre is an integral part to the parliament's position with which now enter into the negotiations.”