EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

Europaudvalget 2020-21
EUU Alm.del Bilag 752
Offentligt

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CHAIRPERSONS OF COSAC

Ljubljana, Slovenia, 19 July 2021

(held via videoconference)

AGENDA:

1. Opening of the meeting

- Welcome address by Mr

Igor ZORČIČ, President of the Slovenian

Državni zbor

Introductory remarks by Mr

Marko POGAČNIK, Chair of the Committee on

European Union Affairs, Slovenian

Državni zbor

Introductory remarks by Mr Bojan KEKEC, Chair of the Commission for

International Relations and European Affairs, Slovenian

Državni svet

2. Adoption of the agenda of the meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC

3. Procedural issues and miscellaneous matters

Results of the meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC

Draft Programme of the LXVI COSAC

Outline of the 36th Bi-annual Report of COSAC

Letters received by the Presidency

Information on the Appointment Process of the new Permanent Member of

the COSAC Secretariat

Procedural issues

4. Priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Keynote speaker:

Mr Anže LOGAR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the

Republic

of Slovenia

5. Cybersecurity in the EU - Strengthening the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure

and Cyber Defence

Keynote speakers: Mr Thierry BRETON, EU Commissioner for the Internal

Market; Mr Matej TONIN, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia; Mr

Juhan LEPASSAR, Executive Director of the European Union Agency for

Cybersecurity (ENISA); Mr Uroš SVETE, Director of the Information Security

Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

PROCEEDINGS

IN THE CHAIR: Mr Marko POGAČNIK, Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs, Slovenian

Državni

zbor;

Mr Bojan KEKEC, Chair of the Commission for International Relations and European Affairs,

Slovenian

Državni svet

1. Opening of the meeting

- Welcome address by Mr

Igor ZORČIČ, President of

the Slovenian

Državni zbor

Introductory remarks by Mr Marko POGAČNIK, Chair of the Committee on European

Union Affairs, Slovenian

Državni zbor

- Introductory remarks by Mr Bojan KEKEC, Chair of the Commission on International

Relations and European Affairs, Slovenian

Državni svet

Mr Marko POGAČNIK, Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs, Slovenian

Državni zbor

welcomed all the participants to the meeting and assured colleagues that, despite it being held via

videoconference, the meeting would nonetheless provide a good opportunity for an in-depth and

constructive debate.

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

Mr Igor ZORČIČ, President of

the Slovenian

Državni zbor

, welcomed all the participants and

expressed regret that due to the epidemiological situation the meeting could not be hosted in

Ljubljana.

While noting that this was the second time that Slovenia had taken over the Council Presidency, he

emphasised that it was now doing so under completely different circumstances, not only due to the

COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of certain global developments which posed new challenges

and required immediate action both from the EU as well as its Member States. He emphasised

Slovenia•s determination to use these challenging circumstances to confirm its adherence to the idea

of Europe and its fundamental values.

He welcomed the fact that Slovenia had taken over the Council Presidency on the 30

anniversary of

its independence. He stressed that, after becoming independent, Slovenia had followed its ambitions

to join the community of like-minded countries that shared a commitment to peace, freedom and

respect for international law, adding that, 17 years later, Slovenia was still a proud member of the

EU, and expressed hope that its presidency would, through its priorities, contribute to the success of

the EU and the well-being and prosperity of its citizens. He stressed the current global dimension of

the economic and social devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and said that the curtailment

of certain freedoms, once taken for granted in the EU, had resulted in the loss of citizen•s trust in the

EU.

He further stated that the stalemate in the EU•s enlargement policy had

dealt a blow to candidate and

other countries with European aspirations. He expressed his belief that national Parliaments were the

institutions closest to its citizens and should take an appropriate and responsible approach to restore

the trust in the institutions of the nation state and the EU.

He also stressed the need for seizing the unique opportunity offered by the Conference on the Future

of Europe (CoFE), adding that Slovenia would work to make the CoFE a success in terms of citizens

engagement by enabling them to shape policies that corresponded to their visions for the future of

EU.

He thanked the German and Portuguese presidencies for their cooperation in the Trio Presidency and

outlined the four priorities of the Slovenian presidency: strengthening the resilience and economic

recovery of the EU and improving its capacity to anticipate future crisis situations; ensuring a broad

and inclusive space for debate on the

EU•s future in the scope of the CoFE;

promoting a union of the

European way of life, the rule of law and equal criteria for all; and ensuring a secure and stable EU

neighbourhood.

In conclusion, he once again pointed out the central role of the national Parliaments and expressed

his belief that the parliamentary dimension of the presidency played a crucial and responsible role in

stimulating public•s interest in politics and regaining its trust. He called upon national Parliaments

increase their mutual cooperation and work with the EU institutions. In his opinion, COSAC meetings

already represented a platform for cooperation and integration within which interparliamentary ties

should be further strengthened.

Mr POGAČNIK congratulated the Portuguese

Presidency for their excellent parliamentary dimension

and thanked the trio presidencies for their work and cooperation. He also welcomed France as the

new member of the Presidential Troika.

Mr POGAČNIK

also welcomed the fact that the Slovenian Council Presidency coincided with the

anniversary of its independence. He stated that the COVID-19 pandemic posed a threat not only

to health but also to the economy and jobs. In this context, he stressed that Slovenia had implemented

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

successful measures and noted that it was among the Member States with the highest GDP growth

rate and the lowest unemployment rate. He also emphasised that the Slovenian

Državni zbor

had

already organized an event in the framework of the CoFE to bring the debate closer to the citizens

and shape a common position on the future of the EU.

Mr POGAČNIK welcomed Mr Harris GEORGIADES, Chair of

the Standing Committee for Foreign

and European Affairs of the Cyprus

Vouli ton Antiprosopon,

who was attending this meeting for the

first time. He also expressed his solidarity with the Austrian, Belgian, Dutch, German and

Luxembourgish colleagues following the recent catastrophic floods,

and stressed Slovenia•s

willingness to help.

Mr Bojan KEKEC, Chair of the Commission on International Relations and European Affairs,

Slovenian

Državni svet

, welcomed all the participants and expressed hope that the LXVI COSAC

would be hosted live in Ljubljana. He noted that the Slovenian Council Presidency in 2008 had also

taken place in challenging times. He stressed the importance of the 18-month Trio Presidency

programme for the well-being of the EU and emphasised that the Slovenian priorities under the motto

“Together. Resilient. Europe.”

would contribute to building a stronger and more resilient EU.

Mr KEKEC further outlined certain key aspects of the Slovenian Council Presidency priorities.

Firstly, achieving strategic autonomy, whereby Slovenia would work towards ensuring greater

autonomy in the supply of medicines and vaccines, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and other

strategic areas. Secondly, establishing the EU as a stronger global actor, whose actions were based

on common values such as freedom, democracy and human rights. In this regard, he stressed the need

for a strengthened cooperation in security and defence, in order for the EU to be able to successfully

tackle various global threats. Thirdly, the future of the EU, which should be shaped by a common

vision between political actors and citizens. In Mr KEKEC•s opinion,

the EU would not be able to

fulfil its mission, namely to provide prosperity for all,

without the citizen•s participation.

In this

context, he highlighted the role of the CoFE in enabling direct engagement of EU citizens. He also

emphasised the role of national Parliaments in shaping the common future of the EU and stressed the

importance of transparency and dialogue with citizens and civil society. Fourthly, the need to

strengthen the

EU•s values and principles.

In this respect, he highlighted the respect of the rule of law

and ensuring equal criteria and opportunities for everyone.

In conclusion, Mr KEKEC expressed his belief that the meeting would provide an opportunity for a

dynamic debate on certain key areas of the EU.

2. Adoption of the agenda for the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC

POGAČNIK

presented the draft agenda of the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC, which

was approved without amendment.

3. Procedural issues and miscellaneous matters

- Results of the meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC

- Draft Programme of the LXVI COSAC

- Letters received by the Presidency

- Information on the Appointment Process of the new Permanent Member of the COSAC

Secretariat

- Procedural issues

Mr POGAČNIK presented the results of the Presidential Troika meeting, noting the approval of the

agenda and the outline of the 36th Bi-annual Report of COSAC and the debate on the draft programme

for the LXVI COSAC, which would take place from 28 - 30 November 2021. With regard to the

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

outline of the Bi-annual

Report, Mr POGAČNIK presented the three topics of the questionnaire: the

digitalisation of Parliaments during the digital transition and the COVID-19 pandemic; the future role

of young people in decision-making processes and beyond; and the Conference on the Future of

Europe. These topics were related to the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency and would be covered

by the LXVI plenary meeting of COSAC. The questionnaire would be sent to delegations on 26 July

2021, with a deadline set for 21 September 2021.

Mr POGAČNIK

then referred to the appointment of the Permanent Member of the COSAC

Secretariat for 2022-2023, informing colleagues that an invitation to nominate candidates would be

sent out to Parliaments/Chambers after the meeting, with 15 October 2021 set as the deadline for

submissions. The decision on the nomination procedure would be taken on the basis of the received

submissions and the Presidential Troika would propose a candidate at the LXVI COSAC. He also

reminded colleagues of the letter sent by the Portuguese Presidency for Parliaments/Chambers to

confirm their intention to contribute to the current co-financing mechanism for the COSAC

Secretariat for the next two years, starting on 1 January 2022, and urged them to submit their

commitments.

Mr POGAČNIK also referred to the letters requesting invitation to attend the COSAC meetings that

were received from the Swiss

Assemblée Fédérale,

the Norwegian

Stortinget,

the UK

House of Lords

and the Andorran

Conseil General.

Mr POGAČNIK said that, following consultation with the

Presidential Troika, invitations were sent to the parliaments of Switzerland, Norway, Andorra and to

the UK

House of Lords.

A letter was also received from the

Croatian Hrvatski sabor.

Furthermore, he noted that the Presidency had also received a letter from Ms Sabine THILLAYE,

Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the French

Assemblée nationale

and Mr Jean-Fraçois

RAPIN, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the French

Sénat,

proposing the establishment

of two working groups that would deal with questions connected to the EU. Mr POGAČNIK informed

the participants that the Slovenian Presidency had already replied to this letter and that as a result of

an agreement reached during the meeting of the Presidential Troika, the French colleagues were to

submit a more detailed proposal. He thus thanked the French colleagues for the subsequent detailed

proposal regarding the working groups, which was also sent to all Parliaments. He stressed that before

the Slovenian Presidency could take a position on the French proposal, consultations needed to be

held in the respective committees on European affairs of the Slovenian

Državni zbor

and

Državni

svet.

In addition, he emphasised the need to avoid duplication of work and/or competition between

the proposed working groups and the CoFE, and proposed that the proposal should be discussed at

the LXVI COSAC in November.

Ms THILLAYE explained that the reason for the submission of the proposal lay in the tight schedule

of the upcoming French Council Presidency due to elections. She reiterated that the work of the

proposed groups would not contradict the CoFE, as their work would focus on strengthening the role

and visibility of national Parliaments on the European level.

4. Priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Keynote speaker:

Mr Anže LOGAR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia

Mr Anže LOGAR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, noted that

interparliamentary cooperation was important in European affairs, and had to be seen as the basis of

a tolerant dialogue.

The Minister elaborated on the Slovenian Presidency priorities, ranked into four overarching themes.

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

The first one was the resilience, recovery and strategic autonomy of the European Union.

According to Mr LOGAR, the main objective here was to strengthen the resilience of the Union, in

order to improve its reaction in case of crises with significant cross-border effects. He mentioned two

main areas that needed to be focussed on: resilience in time of a pandemic and cyber resilience. The

Slovenian Presidency would pay particular attention to building a European Health Union, and to the

need to achieve a strategic health autonomy. Therefore, the establishment of a new European Health

Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) would be necessary, and in this regard the

Slovenian Presidency expected an ambitious proposal from the European Commission.

The Minister noted that another objective was to strengthen cyber resilience. A recast of the Directive

for a high common level of cybersecurity of network and digital systems would be at the heart of the

Slovenian Presidency work.

Mr LOGAR underlined that resilience was also an economical matter, based on the green transition

and digital transformation. The focus would be on the implementation of the NextGenerationEU, and

on the Fit for 55 climate and energy package: the negotiations on this comprehensive package would

begin under the Presidency.

Accelerating digital transition was also a key element for the recovery, with a focus on the regulations

of Digital Services and Digital Markets. The Slovenian priorities also put an emphasis on artificial

intelligence, by supporting the Artificial Intelligence Act and digital sovereignty, with the promotion

of fair and regulated access to the data. The Slovenian Presidency would continue to work on the

adoption of the Data Management Act and would start working on the new Data Act.

The second priority concerned the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFE). In line with its wish

to play an active role in organising the discussions, the Slovenian Presidency was looking forward to

having European citizens and stakeholders join the debate on the European project. The debate on the

Future of Europe would also be at the heart of the 16th Bled Strategic Forum.

The third priority was the promotion of the European way of life, the rule of law and equal criteria

for all. In the area of rule of law, the Slovenian Presidency sought synergies between different

European mechanisms. Slovenia intended to continue the European Commission•s second annual

report of the rule of law in the form of two debates: the general situation in the EU, and the specific

situation of five Member States. The aim was to succeed in having a better understanding of the rule

of law, which was a common EU value.

The fourth and last priority was to build a credible and secure European Union, capable of ensuring

security and stability in its neighbourhood. The Slovenian Presidency would try to implement a

strategy for a fully functioning and resilient Schengen area. Slovenia would also seek progress with

respect to the pact on migration and asylum, and wished to strengthen work on the external dimension

of migration. A particular emphasis was placed on the Western Balkans, especially in view of the EU

Western Balkans summit that Slovenia would host on 6 October 2021. The Slovenian Presidency

wished to promote convergence of this region, in different European policy areas, such as

infrastructure; transport and energy connectivity; research and innovation; decarbonisation;

digitalisation; and cyber resilience. Finally, the Slovenian Presidency would also seek to strengthen

transatlantic relations.

Mr LOGAR concluded by underlining that the Chairpersons meeting of COSAC was a very important

form of interinstitutional integration that would assist in finding the appropriate solutions to the issues

faced by the European Union in the upcoming months, on the

basis of the slogan “Together. Resilient.

Europe”.

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

During the debate that followed, 21 speakers took the floor. In their interventions, parliamentarians

expressed their support for the ambitious programme of the Slovenian Presidency.

Ms Roberta METSOLA, European Parliament, started off by saying that the coming months would

be decisive for the EU and called for a resilient EU to consolidate democracy, the rule of law and to

make the CoFE a success. Ms METSOLA considered that the EU had to strengthen its position on

the international stage, through the use of proper instruments and coordinated action, as evidenced

by the EU•s reaction to the recent events in Belarus.

She said that the EU had to act in one voice. Ms

METSOLA highlighted the importance of the CoFE, and the necessity for the EU to answer to 21

century challenges, in particular referring to vaccination and Western Balkans enlargement, while

stressing the continued support of the European Parliament to their EU ambitions.

Ms Sabine THILLAYE, French

Assemblée nationale,

Mr Gunther KRICHBAUM, German

Bundestag,

and Mr Christian BUCHMANN, Austrian

Bundesrat

welcomed the Slovenian

Presidency's prioritisation of resilience and the rule of law.

Ms THILLAYE stressed the importance of the future of Europe, which would also be one of the

priorities of the French Presidency, and emphasised the role of national Parliaments in enforcing

democracy. She also referred to the need to discuss the subject of Western Balkans enlargement, a

sentiment echoed by Mr BUCHMANN. Mr KRICHBAUM thanked his colleagues for their support

and solidarity for the recent deadly floodings, and stressed the need to strengthen cross-border

cooperation.

Mr Luís CAPOULAS SANTOS, Portuguese

Assembleia da República,

commended the choice of

Slovenian priorities which were a continuation of the trio of Presidencies. Mr CAPOULAS SANTOS

stated that Slovenian Presidency could count on the support of the Portuguese Parliament.

Several parliamentarians underlined the importance of the CoFE. Mr Reinhold LOPATKA, Austrian

Nationalrat,

referred to the debates on the future of Europe organized in his country, involving

citizens and young people. Mr Rubén MORENO, Spanish

Cortes Generales,

mentioned the subjects

Spitzencandidaten

and qualified majority voting which could be used to take efficient decisions.

Mr Siim KALLAS, Estonian

Riigikogu,

emphasised the importance of maintaining the existing

institutional balance between European institutions and Member States. Mr Rainer ROBRA, German

Bundesrat,

said it was extremely important that European institutions listened to the citizens, as the

latter had an important role to play in the future of European policies. Mr ROBRA underlined the

essential role of national Parliaments in the EU. Mr Kacper

PŁAŻYŃSKI,

Polish

Sejm,

stressed the

importance of national constitutional courts, and the rule of law.

Several parliamentarians noted migration as a fundamental policy challenge to Europe. Mr MORENO

said that Spain was particularly concerned about this subject and emphasized the necessity for the EU

to act. Mr Jani MÄKELÄ, Finnish

Eduskunta,

considered EU action in preventing mass migration

necessary.

Ms Radvilė MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ,

Lithuanian

Seimas,

referred to the

political difficulties on the border between Belarus and Lithuania, and called for the EU to act.

On the economy, Mr MÄKELÄ said that EU recovery funds were useful tools to respond to the crisis

but they should not become permanent funds, because each Member State had to assume its

responsibilities. Mr Nikitas KAKLAMANIS, Greek

Vouli ton Antiprosopon,

highlighted the

importance of recovery plans to stimulate the economy and to create jobs in new sectors, such as

energy and digitalization, and recalled the sacrifices made by Greece during the financial crisis of

2009.

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

A number of speakers referred to the Western Balkans and the enlargement process in their

interventions. Mr Richárd HÖRCSIK, Hungarian

Országgyű lés

, stressed that there could be no

possible stability in Europe without stability in the Balkans.

Mr Domagoj HADJUKOVIČ, Croatian

Hrvatski sabor,

considered the Western Balkans as a top priority for Europe. Mr LOPATKA referred

to the organization of two conferences on this subject, in Vienna and in Paris, in cooperation with the

French

Assemblée nationale.

Ștefan

MUȘOIU, Romanian

Camera Deputaților,

congratulated the

Slovenian Presidency for opening the debate on Schengen area enlargement. Mr MUȘOIU

mentioned

that

Romania had an important role to play in the enlargement of Western Balkans and commended

the election of the pro-European party in Moldova.

Mr Aber ADEMI, North Macedonian

Sobranie,

Mr Branimir

GVOZDENOVIĆ,

Montenegrin

Skupština

and Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbian

Narodna

skupština

, expressed their satisfaction to see

the integration of Western Balkans as a priority of the Slovenian Presidency. Mr ADEMI declared

that his country would manage to overcome difficulties encountered with Bulgaria. Mr

GVOZDENOVIĆ

called for better defined enlargement criteria, and stressed the fact that security

and prosperity in Europe depended on the integration of Western Balkans, a region of historic

importance. Ms KOVÁCS stated that Serbia had worked intensively to fulfil the criteria to access to

the EU.

Mr Charles KINNOULL, UK

House of Lords,

emphasized the necessity of building new relations

between the UK and the EU, as these faced common issues, such as, for example, climate change. Mr

KINNOULL reminded participants of the 26th annual United Nations Climate Conference taking

place in Glasgow, and stressed the importance of parliamentary cooperation.

Taking the floor for his final remarks,

Mr Anže LOGAR

thanked the speakers for their support. He

promised that the Slovenian Presidency would be working hard to progress on its priorities. He was

delighted to hear the support from national Parliaments on these priorities and particularly from the

European Parliament on the subject of enlargement with regard to the Western Balkans. Mr LOGAR

mentioned the holding of a summit between the EU and the Western Balkans during the Slovenian

Presidency and hoped that this summit would become more regular.

On the subject of the rule of law, Mr LOGAR referred to the mechanisms of prevention already

existing in the treaties. He confirmed the will of the Slovenian Presidency to have a balanced debate

on this subject.

Concerning the CoFE, Mr LOGAR noted that the preservation of the interinstitutional balance was

essential for parliamentarians. He stressed the importance of the respect of the subsidiarity process.

To conclude, he promised that the Slovenian Presidency would continue to cooperate with national

Parliaments and the European Parliament to achieve its priorities.

5. Cybersecurity in the EU - Strengthening the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure and Cyber

Defence

Keynote speakers: Mr Thierry BRETON, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market; Mr Matej

TONIN, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia; Mr Juhan LEPASSAR, Executive Director

of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA); Mr Uroš SVETE, Director of the

Information Security Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

Mr Thierry BRETON, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, addressed the participants through

a pre-recorded video message. The Commissioner referred to the increasing number of cyberattacks,

be them in the economic, political, commercial or military spheres, with one single aim: to destabilize

the system. The EU had become a major global player and, therefore, a target for cyberattacks,

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

creating the need to protect critical infrastructures. Mr BRETON recognized that the EU was not

prepared to tackle the threats and, in this regard, the European Commission had adopted in December

the European Security Strategy to detect, defend, deter and protect the Union from cyber attacks. In

order to achieve these goals, the Commissioner stressed the importance of the revision of the

Directive on security of network and information systems (NIS Directive); the implementation of the

principle «cyber-secure by design»; closer cooperation in research; and the importance of the Security

Operations Centre (SOC). With regard to defence, Mr BRETON thought Europe should be better

equipped to cope with major cyberattacks and, in this perspective, the Commission proposed the

creation of a Joint Cyber Unit to manage large scale crises and to accompany the Strategic Compass.

Mr Matej TONIN, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, was the second keynote speaker

to take the floor. He pointed out the importance of cooperation in achieving common goals,

particularly in the area of cybersecurity. Mr TONIN acknowledged the societal benefits of new

technologies and rapid digitalization but also the vulnerabilities, risks and threats that these gave rise

to. On critical infrastructures and provision of key services, the Minister highlighted the targeted

cyberattacks on hospitals and healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential

of these attacks to cause economic damage and threaten state sovereignty. He underlined the

importance of a coordinated action and solidarity to develop effective solutions to protect critical

infrastructure, ensuring an open, reliable, secure and predictable cyberspace.

Mr TONIN also welcomed the proposals of new Directives on the security of network and

information systems (NIS 2) and on the resilience of critical entities (CER), the cyber security strategy

and the Commission•s proposal for a Joint Cyber Unit, as an important element for further

complementing the EU•s cyber crisis management framework. He also mentioned the importance of

investments in modern capabilities and technologies and in cyber defence, including enhancing the

military CERT network and promoting not only civil-military cooperation, but also cooperation with

international organizations, especially NATO. The Minister concluded his intervention by reiterating

the significance of ensuring coherence between international and national efforts, and foster a genuine

culture of cooperation to collectively face the challenges of the digital age, in the spirit of the

Presidency•s slogan.

Mr Juhan LEPASSAR, Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity

(ENISA), also referred to the alarming rise of cyber incidents globally in 2020. He welcomed the

European

Commission•s proposal to amend

the NIS Directive, the first European wide cybersecurity

legislation. Mr LEPASSAR listed the opportunities the amendment of this Directive would bring: the

revision of its scope, which should be expanded in order to prevent and counter cyberattacks in critical

infrastructures, expanding not only in terms of the size of entities but also including new sectors

(pharmaceuticals, cloud computing service providers, data centers, food manufacturers, wastewater);

enhanced cooperation, including information exchange across borders and levels; the increase in

cybersecurity investment, with the EU Recovery plan offering a way out by investing in targeted

areas that would improve cybersecurity and foster a robust cybersecurity market. In this respect, Mr

LEPASSAR also alluded to the introduction of accountability for the top management for non-

compliance with cybersecurity measures.

He touched upon the role of ENISA, set up by the Cybersecurity Act, and the need to achieve a high

common level of cybersecurity across the Union, as well as the need for cybersecurity professionals,

research and innovation and the importance of the EU Cybersecurity Competence Centre and the

Network of National Coordination Centres. Mr LEPASSAR thanked the Slovenian Presidency for

the opportunity to discuss this issue with the national Parliaments and looked forward to visiting

Slovenia in September for the Cybersecurity Conference.

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

Mr Uroš SVETE, Director of the Information Security Administration of the Republic of Slovenia,

was the last speaker in this session. In his brief intervention, Mr SVETE stressed the importance of

cyber resilience, which included EU leadership in digital technologies and enhanced cyber security

throughout the digital supply chain. He emphasized the need to strengthen digital autonomy,

including improvements in numerous areas, such as connectivity, efficient and resilient digital

infrastructures, secure and open internet, resilience to cyber threats, digital skills and new

technologies. The Director also recorded the most important dossiers in this area

–

NIS 2 Directive

and Joint Cyber Unit

–

as well as the establishment of the European Cybersecurity Industrial,

Technology and Research Competence Centre.

During the debate that followed, 16 speakers took the floor. In their interventions, parliamentarians

expressed their overall support for cybersecurity as a priority area of action for the Member States

and the EU.

A number of speakers, including Mr Sergio BATTELLI, Italian

Camera dei Deputati,

Mr Siim

KALLAS, Estonian

Riigikogu,

Mr Dimitris KAIRIDIS, Greek

Vouli ton Ellinon,

Mr Claude KERN,

French

Sénat,

and Ms Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish

Riksdag

noted that digitalisation, and in

particular the accelerated digitalisation noticed during the COVID-19 pandemic, was also

accompanied by increased cyber-crime activity. Mr Rubén MORENO, Spanish

Cortes Generales

noted that threats had become more sophisticated and that the EU was one of the primary targets. He

stressed that the environment had itself become more complex and for example with respect to the

internet of things a break-down of several services would result in great consequences. Similarly, Mr

KALLAS noted that cyber-attacks had become a threat to many areas and activities in life, and

stressed the importance of raising awareness and educating the citizens in the fight against cyber-

crime.

In her intervention, Ms Sabine THILLAYE, French

Assemblée nationale,

focused on the space sector

and noted that little attention had been given to this area so far, although a large number of satellites

were critical for many services. Ms THILLAYE mentioned that cybersecurity of satellites mostly

relied on private companies which used open source software, being therefore more vulnerable to

cyberattacks, a fact threatening the use of services. She referred to the relevant efforts made at national

level and called for more discussion at EU level. Ms ROSWALL referred, amongst others, to the

banking and finance sectors, stressing that since these sectors were mainly private, their protection

was necessary in order for society to be able to function. She also noted that authorities should work

efficiently, and that it was important to ensure cooperation between the

EU•s and Member States•

authorities, echoing

Mr KERN•s plea for strengthening the exchange of information between

the EU

and its Member States.

Mr Domagoj HAJDUKOVIĆ, Croatian

Hrvatski Sabor,

noted that a lot of information, including

sensitive information, was being transferred, and that therefore cyber security was crucial. He was

convinced that debates on this topic would frequently surface during future Council Presidencies. He

also referred to the new EU industrial strategy and stressed that it was crucial for the EU to be able

to rely on its own resources in this context. Similarly, Mr KERN referred to the EU industrial strategy

and the need to invest in cybersecurity if the EU wished to avoid dependence on foreign technologies,

which could eventually take control over infrastructure in certain business systems. In addition, Mr

Gunther KRICHBAUM, German

Bundestag,

referred to industrial espionage, a topic of special

importance for Germany, and stressed the need to cooperate with the US in this area while being

aware

of the latter•s

own interests. In addition, Mr KRICHBAUM enquired about the existence of

systematic data on cyber-crimes and what action was being taken with respect to cyber activity aimed

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

at influencing elections. Mr BATTELLI spoke about the impact of online propaganda and

disinformation and the need to address the issue through inter-state cooperation.

Ms Roberta METSOLA, European Parliament, underlined that the European Parliament supported

strengthening cybersecurity in the Union via European legislation and its Agency for Cyber Security

ENISA, relying strongly on the capacity and expertise of all Member States. Ms METSOLA noted

that cybersecurity was a great example of the complementary role of the Union•s and the Member

States• policies and agencies. She called for the EU to be resilient against digital challenges and to

invest in cyber security in order to maintain competitiveness and to protect the EU citizens. Ms

METSOLA stressed the need to be future-oriented and called for more progress in the area of hybrid

threats.

Several speakers spoke about the national situation with respect to cybersecurity. Among these, Mr

Gaëtan VAN GOIDSENHOVEN, Belgian

Sénat/ Senaat

noted that Belgium had been a victim of

many cyber-attacks, with the education and university systems being especially hit, and that in order

to gain the

population•s

trust, Belgium had invested in this area during the last years, provided

targeted measures for the period 2021-2027 and also earmarked a significant part of the recovery plan

to such relevant actions. Mr Dario STEFÀNO, Italian

Senato della Repubblica

noted that Italy had

allocated considerable amounts to cybersecurity in the framework of its national recovery plan, while

Mr BATTELLI provided information about the ongoing process of establishing a national agency.

Mr KAIRIDIS stated that Greece had made a lot of progress in digitalisation and had delivered

tangible results in the last two years, while cybersecurity and addressing vulnerability challenges

were now on the forefront of the agenda. Mr MORENO noted that Spain had an advanced

cybersecurity legislation in place and had from the outset supported the goal of reaching a harmonised

high level of cybersecurity and resilience in the EU.

Foreign interferences and threats from third countries were was also an aspect addressed by several

speakers, including Ms Radvilė MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ, Lithuanian

Seimas,

Mr Kacper

PŁAŻYŃSKI, Polish

Sejm,

and Mr STEFÀNO.

Ms MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ

urged

parliamentarians not to forget the Western Balkans or the Eastern Partnership countries, given their

proximity to neighbouring countries which had views that conflicted with the EU•s,

and stressed the

importance for Member States of standing together as a group. Mr STEFÀNO noted that,

geopolitically, the EU needed to assert itself

vis-à-vis

Russia and China, requiring to this end that the

EU dispose favourably towards adequate technologies to respond to cyber threats in a collective

manner.

Mr PŁAŻYŃSKI was of the opinion that only NATO had the capability to

efficiently address

the issue. He acknowledged that most attacks originated from

the Union•s

Eastern neighbourhood

and that strong sanctions should be considered, for example in the case of Russia; Mr MORENO

stressed that the EU•s sanction regime should be more efficiently used

in the future. Ms ROSWALL

called for strategic autonomy of the EU and for working with like-minded countries and democracies,

including strengthening transatlantic relations.

Mr Harris GEORGIADES, Cyprus

Vouli ton Antiprosopon,

agreed that a collective approach in the

fight against cyber-crime and implementation was imperative.

The importance of investing more in research and innovation was also noted by Ms

MORKŪNAITĖ-

MIKULĖNIENĖ

and Mr GEORGIADES. In this respect, Mr KERN underlined the importance of

innovation partnerships in the EU. Mr ROBRA, German

Bundesrat,

also called for cybersecurity to

be improved in the education system and stressed that cybersecurity was not only about IT and

technology, but also about the timely identification of weak areas.

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 752: Referat af virtuelt COSAC formandsmøde 19/7-21 og Trojka-møde 16/7-21

Mr BATELLI, Mr GEORGIADES, Mr KAIRIDIS and Mr STEFÀNO welcomed the European

Commission proposals and called for their quick adoption. Mr STEFÀNO highlighted that the Italian

Senate had examined the proposals and found no issues with subsidiarity. Mr ROBRA raised some

concerns with respect to the NIS Directive and the limited involvement of the regions. Mr KAIRIDIS

highlighted the significant work done by ENISA and underlined the importance of having adequate

resources to fight cyber-crime.

The keynote speakers took the floor at the end of the debate to address some of the questions. Mr

TONIN once again welcomed the revision of the NIS Directive with a view to achieving resilience

of critical entities. He stressed that an integrated approach had been followed, based on thorough risk

assessment and planning. Strengthening resilience would require that both non-cyber and

cybersecurity would be considered in a complementary way. He underlined that Slovenia was in

favour of a flexible and pragmatic approach to allow Member States to make adaptations according

to their national systems when needed. He confirmed that the Slovenian Presidency would strive to

harmonise the two Directives in the

Council•s working groups.

Mr SVETE stressed the need to progress with Directive proposal on NIS 2 in Council, this being the

main pillar of cybersecurity in EU, and that Member States understood the need for quick progression

in this area. Rules would need to be implementable in practice and the burden for national authorities

be kept at a minimum. With respect to the new joint cyber unit in the Commission, he stressed the

need for harmonious cooperation with all stakeholders involved.

Finally, Mr LEPASSAAR noted that cyber-crime was not a new area, but that accelerated

digitalisation revealed that work still needed to be done. While he confirmed a 72 per cent increase

of significant and impactful incidents between 2019 and 2020, he acknowledged the lack of reliable

statistics, especially since data from Member States was not comparable, given that there were

discrepancies with respect to who had been reporting and what had been reported. He underlined that

the mindset was the problem: businesses did not consider cybersecurity crucial, despite the fact that

this should be a priority issue for managers of organisations and businesses, rather than being merely

an issue to be solely dealt with by IT departments. He welcomed the Commission proposals and the

establishment of the new cyber unit toward changing this attitude.

Concluding the debate, Mr POGAČNIK thanked all participants for the very interesting discussion

confirming that joint action in the area was necessary and was convinced that the topic would be

further discussed in the framework of COSAC.

Mr KEKEC echoed these sentiments, and stressed that the future of Europe had to be built on

fundamental European principles and values, and it was the responsibility of politicians to uphold

these values, working for a resilient Europe by working with and building the trust of its citizens.