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On 8 and 9 March 2022, as part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, EU Ministers in charge of digital affairs and electronic communications will convene in Paris and Nevers for an informal meeting also attended by European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton. In light of recent geopolitical developments, the French Presidency has decided to devote the meeting to the resilience of communications infrastructure and networks in Europe and the security of European cyberspace.
The European Union has always remained vigilant against cyber risks. Since the European Commission published its cybersecurity roadmap in 2017, cybersecurity has become even more of a priority issue: the launch of the CyCLONe network in 2020 has ushered in increased cooperation between Member States; the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has been given a stronger mandate; and a European Cybersecurity Skills Framework has been adopted.
In December 2021, thanks to the progress acheived during the Slovenian Presidency, the Ministers in charge of digital affairs and electronic communications established a common position on the revision of the NIS2 Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the EU. Under the French Presidency, Ministers are continuing to work towards an agreement on the directive with the European Parliament. This informal meeting of Ministers will be an opportunity to advance discussions and make further progress on cybersecurity issues.
Welcome lunch | Combatting online disinformation
On 8 March, EU Ministers will attend an informal lunch alongside Jean-Yvles Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, at the Ministry for the Economy, Finance and the Recovery in Paris. Representatives from big tech companies will also be in attendance for a discussion on combatting online disinformation and information manipulation.
Informal working meeting | Strengthening the resilience of electronic communications infrastructure and networks in Europe
After travelling to Nevers, the Ministers will convene at Nevers town hall for their first working meeting, which will focus on the resilience of the infrastructure vital to Europe’s electronic communications networks (terrestrial infrastructure, undersea cables, etc.). Joined by Juhan Lepassaar, Executive Director of ENISA, and Annemarie Sipkes, Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), the Ministers will discuss Europe’s electronic communications infrastructure networks.
Political plenary | Protecting European cyberspace
On 9 March, the political plenary, to be held at the Magny-Cours Motor-Racing Circuit, will be dedicated to European cyberspace. Ministers will discuss the security of information systems and baseline cybersecurity requirements for Europe. They will consider the structure of a resilient and effective European cyber ecosystem and examine European cooperation mechanisms, with input from Juhan Lepassaar, Executive Director of ENISA, and Guillaume Poupard, Director General of the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI). Discussions will also be held on the Cyber Resilience Act, a legislative initiative announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address in September 2021.
The meeting will conclude after a working lunch and press conference.
06/03/2022 10:00 | Article
The Informal Meeting of Development Ministers of the European Union
The Informal Meeting of Development Ministers of the European Union will take place in Montpellier, at the Musée Fabre, on 7 March 2022.The Informal Meeting of Development Ministers of the European Union will take place in Montpellier, at the Musée Fabre, on 7 March 2022.
This meeting will offer the opportunity to take stock of the actions implemented by the European Union and by its Member States, as Team Europe, to provide backing to Ukraine, both as part of emergency measures, and as part of the scheduling of our new EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument. This meeting will also enable an update on the action of the two main development banks that operate in Ukraine: the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Lastly, still on Ukraine, this meeting will allow us to take stock of the humanitarian aid sent to the Ukrainian border following the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as of the aid for the reception of numerous refugees in the neighbouring countries.
This meeting will also provide ministers with some time for in-depth exchange on European development policy, in an international context marked by geopolitical tensions and power games between different development models, the persistence of major global inequalities and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hampered the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The informal nature of this meeting will allow more open exchanges on the new working method of the EU and on its position as the world’s leading donor of official development aid.
Beyond this, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union intends to highlight themes that are essential to this core policy in the affirmation of the European Union and its values in the global arena:
The geopolitical dimension of European international cooperation and development policy
Discussions will focus on Europe’s offer of partnerships for sustainable development, in particular in the wake of the EU-AU Summit and the Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, for the purpose of further developing strategic orientations, instruments and the implementation of the EU’s international cooperation and development policy. It will also be an opportune moment to examine the role and the status of the EU in international organizations.
Biodiversity preservation in development policies and support for research on sustainable food systems
Key issue in order to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it would be appropriate during the working lunch to discuss in particular the fight against climate change, the prevention of pandemics, access to water and the development of sustainable food systems, during the working lunch.
The former president of Niger, Mr Mahamadou Issoufou, will be invited to speak as “resource mobilization champion for the Great Green Wall”. This international initiative for the environment and land management launched in 2007 by the African Union in 11 countries of the Sahel region, which France helped to revive in early 2021, provides an example of a large-scale project that contributes to biodiversity protection, to fighting land degradation and to the development of sustainable farming policies. The agro-ecological approach is in fact vital to preserve biodiversity while responding in a sustainable manner to the growing food needs of populations.
World-renowned representatives from the Montpellier scientific ecosystem, will be invited to participate in this exchange to share their experience: French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the CGIAR global partnership of international organizations focused on food security research.
