European Union: Reached Provisional Agreement between Council and Parliament on Cyber Solidarity Act

On 6 March 2024, the Council presidency and European Parliament's negotiators reached a provisional agreement on the 'Cyber Solidarity Act', aimed at strengthening the European Union's capabilities to detect, prepare for, and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents. The Act aims to enhance EU-wide detection and situational awareness of cyber threats, strengthen preparedness and response capabilities for significant cybersecurity incidents, and promote European technological sovereignty in cybersecurity. These objectives are envisaged to be accomplished primarily through the establishment of a pan-European network of Security Operations Centres (SOCs), national and cross-border cyber hubs for sharing information and detecting cyber threats. Additionally, the Act introduces the creation of a Cyber Emergency Mechanism and a European Cybersecurity Incident Review Mechanism to assess specific cybersecurity incidents after they occur. Following the provisional agreement, both Council and Parliament will have to endorse the text prior to its full formal adoption.