Brussels: The European Council has taken a significant step to bolster the European Union’s cybersecurity framework by adopting two new laws aimed at enhancing the region’s ability to detect, prepare for, and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents. These legislative measures, part of the cybersecurity legislative ‘package’, include the ‘Syber Solidarity Act’ and an amendment to the Sybersecurity Act (CSA).
According to Emirates News Agency, the newly adopted regulation introduces a cybersecurity emergency mechanism designed to improve preparedness and strengthen incident response capabilities within the EU. The regulation emphasizes preparedness actions, which involve testing entities in critical sectors such as healthcare, transport, and energy for potential vulnerabilities using common risk scenarios and methodologies.
Additionally, the regulation establishes a new EU cybersecurity reserve comprising incident response services from the private sector. These services will be available to intervene
upon request from member states, EU institutions, bodies, and agencies, as well as associated third countries, in the event of significant or large-scale cybersecurity incidents. The new laws also promote technical mutual assistance among EU member states.
The legislative acts are set to be signed by the presidents of the Council and the European Parliament and will be published in the EU’s official journal in the coming weeks. They will come into force 20 days following their publication.