News Item

Agency High-level Panel with Commissioner Kroes

Agency High-level Panel in Brussels with Commissioner Kroes; a new Agency regulation proposal is to be published Thursday 30/09.

Published on September 30, 2010

The Agency arranged a High-level Panel on Network and Information Security labelled ‘Securing Europe’s Information Society – Towards a European IT Governance?’ in Brussels on 29th, September.

The participants included key EU policy makers and industry actors:

■ Neelie KROES – European Commissioner for Digital Agenda
■ Herbert REUL MEP – Chair of the ITRE Committee
■ Gilles de KERCHOVE D’OUSSELGHEM – EU Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator
■ John VASSALO – Executive Board Member, DIGITALEUROPE, and
Vice President EU Affairs and Associate General Counsel, Microsoft

The event was inaugurated by an opening address by Dr. Udo Helmbrecht, Executive Director, ENISA. Dr Helmbrecht underlined his position:

 ‘With the new Lisbon Treaty and the subsequent abolition of the three pillar system in the EU, the need for more privacy, trust, critical information infrastructure protection and security is ever increasingly important. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are the backbone of both the European economy and society. Securing Europe’s IT infrastructure is vital to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Internal Market and to create a culture of Network and Information Security in Europe.’

Vice-president and Commissioner Kroes underlined our dependence of information systems and the need for secure networks. She clarified that she will present a proposal for a new Agency regulation on Thursday 30/09. This regulation proposal, to be sent to the European Parliament and the Council for adoption, will be modernising and strengthening the Agency.

UPDATED: For details of the Agency regulation proposal, please refer to the EUROPA web sites;

Press conference of 30/09 with Commissioner Kroes

Commission press release on the regulation proposal

Regulation proposal document

FAQs to Commission regulation proposal

All documents on the Proposal.

Background:

The occasion took place at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel. This was the first of a series of such events, where ENISA will gather opinion leaders from the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council as well as major industry representatives to discuss a policy framework for securing Europe’s future information society, while addressing aspects such as securing critical information infrastructure, support fighting cyber crime, promoting standardisation, enhancing ePrivacy and education on ICT security.