On February 7, the European Commission issued its first comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to cyber disruptions and attacks. The new cybersecurity strategy, along with a proposal on network and information security, aims to prevent and fight cybercrime, strengthen the security and resilience of networks and information security systems, and establish a more coherent European cyber security policy.

The strategy is offering clear priorities for the EU international cyberspace policy:

• Freedom and openness: The strategy will outline the vision and principles on applying the EU core values and fundamental rights in cyberspace.

• The laws, norms, and EU's core values apply as much in the cyberspace as in the physical world: The responsibility for a more secure cyberspace lies with all players of the global information society, from citizens to governments.

• Developing cyber security capacity building: The EU will engage with international partners and organisations, the private sector, and civil society to support global capacity building in third countries. It will include improving access to information and to an open Internet, and preventing cyber threats.

• Fostering international cooperation in cyberspace issues: To preserve open, free, and secure cyberspace is a global challenge, which the EU will address together with the relevant international partners and organisations, the private sector, and civil society.

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said at the announcement of the new strategy: “For cyberspace to remain open and free, the same norms, principles, and values that we [EU] uphold offline must also apply online.” Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda said, “We are all here because we recognise the Internet is important: for our economy, for our values, and for our human rights. We all recognise that insecure systems could harm those benefits. And we recognise that we need to work together, within the EU and internationally, to achieve a safe and free Internet.”

“The international dimension also features prominently with the objective of establishing a coherent international cyberspace policy. At the bilateral level, the new strategy underscores that cooperation with the United States is particularly important and will be further developed, notably in the context of the EU-U.S. Working Group of Cybersecurity and Cybercrime.