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Russia's war against Ukraine has revealed the extent of our dependency on digital technology and the fragility of the digital space. It has triggered a surge in cyberattacks that have been particularly disruptive when targeting critical infrastructure – such as energy, health or finance – because of the increasing reliance on information technology, rendering this infrastructure all the more vulnerable. Against this backdrop, the Commission has proposed a regulation on a cyber solidarity act that ...

In view of the rising frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks hitting United States (US) targets and entailing widespread disruption of critical infrastructure, significant economic loss, and sensitive content and personal data leaks, the Biden administration has taken a series of steps to bolster the US cybersecurity posture since early 2021. Adding to President Biden's 2021 Executive Order on cybersecurity and 2022 Congressional legislation, the 2023 US National Cybersecurity Strategy lays ...

China’s footprint in European critical assets has grown steadily over time, without any centralised mechanism that could give the European Union (EU) and Member State agencies visibility and scrutiny over projects of strategic significance for Europe’s defence and security. China’s footprint poses specific challenges to Europe’s efforts to protect its critical infrastructure. China’s party-led political system does not allow clear distinctions between commercial, political and military interests, ...

Global value chains enable two-thirds of international trade, notably for the EU. The EU wants to preserve its commercial links with third countries and organisations to make up for trade disruptions. This study examines sustainable supply of raw materials, commodities, and critical goods using the EU's Open Strategic Autonomy concept. It examines which raw material are crucial for sustainable supply and necessary for the green transition. The paper examines EU internal legislation and international ...

China's full or partial ownership of a large number of strategic infrastructure assets in the European Union has significantly increased the EU's exposure to a non-EU country with a track record of weaponising its growing global economic footprint to achieve political objectives. Moreover, a series of recent cyber-attacks associated with Chinese hackers have put the EU's critical infrastructure at risk of compromise or espionage. Both developments highlight the need to protect the EU's strategic ...

Protecting critical infrastructure against physical and digital threats is more than ever high on the EU agenda, not least in the light of the recent Nord Stream gas pipelines sabotage. During the November II plenary session, the European Parliament is due to vote on a provisional agreement on rules to enhance critical entities' resilience.

Cyber-attacks and cybercrime continue to rise worldwide. The EU is planning to increase its cyber-resilience by updating the Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive. The expansion of the scope to be covered by the proposed NIS2 directive, obliging more entities and sectors to take consistent measures, would help increase the level of cybersecurity in Europe in the longer term. The European Parliament is due to vote in plenary in November on the agreement reached in interinstitutional negotiations ...

The escalation of Russia's war on Ukraine, and recent incidents – such as the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage – highlight the urgent need to protect the EU's key infrastructure against physical and digital threats, including hybrid attacks. The European Parliament will use its powers of oversight in the revived 'question time', during the October II plenary session, to question the European Commission on the issue.

This briefing provides an initial analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the European Commission's impact assessment (IA) accompanying the above-mentioned proposal, adopted on 15 February 2022 and referred to the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). The proposal, which is included in the 2022 Commission work programme (see Annex I – New initiatives) and in the EU Legislative Priorities for 2022 (see the Commission's working document), seeks to establish a ...

Russia launched its war on Ukraine on 24 February 2022, but Russian cyber-attacks against Ukraine have persisted ever since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, intensifying just before the 2022 invasion. Over this period, Ukraine's public, energy, media, financial, business and non-profit sectors have suffered the most. Since 24 February, limited Russian cyber-attacks have undermined the distribution of medicines, food and relief supplies. Their impact has ranged from preventing access ...