- 29 Jun, 2021
- News
On the 28th of June, the Regulation (EU) 2021/887 entered into force. The new European law establishes the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre (ECCC) and the Network of National Coordination Centres (NCCs).
The establishment of ECCC should encourage better cooperation between relevant stakeholders, including between cybersecurity civilian and defence sectors. This cooperation will help stakeholders to make the best use of existing cybersecurity resources and expertise across Europe. The initiative should help the EU and Member States take a proactive, longer-term strategic perspective to cybersecurity industrial policy going beyond research and development. This approach should help to come up with breakthrough solutions to the cybersecurity challenges which the private and public sectors are facing and support the effective deployment of these solutions.
Located in Bucharest, ECCC will implement relevant parts of the Digital Europe and Horizon Europe programmes by allocating grants and carrying out procurements.
The Regulation foresees three main actors:
- The European Cybersecurity Competence Centre: The European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) aims to increase Europe’s cybersecurity capacities and competitiveness. It will work together with a Network of National Coordination Centres (NCCs) to build a strong cybersecurity community.Located in Bucharest, it will implement relevant parts of the Digital Europe and Horizon Europe programmes by allocating grants and carrying out procurements.
- Network of National Coordination Centres: Each Member State will nominate one National Coordination Centre. They will function as contact points at the national level for the Competence Community and the Competence Centre. They are the ’gatekeepers’ for the cybersecurity community in their country. They support actions carried out under this Regulation, and they may provide financial support to national and local ecosystems.
- The Cybersecurity Competence Community: This Community will involve a large, open, and diverse group of actors involved in cybersecurity technology, including in particular research entities, supply/demand-side industries and the public sector. It will provide input to the activities and work plan of the Competence Centre. And, it will benefit from the community-building activities of the Competence Centre and the Network.
Read the full articles released by the European Commission: