Published: Tue, 12 March 2019
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MEP for Ireland South and leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament Sean Kelly has highlighted Ireland’s strong position to become a global cybersecurity hub, following the European Parliament’s adoption of the EU Cybersecurity Act today.
Speaking from Strasbourg today (Tuesday) Mr. Kelly, who also represented Ireland in the Parliament’s Industry Committee for negotiations on the General Data Protection Regulation, welcomed the vote.
Mr. Kelly pointed to the growing presence of security and tech companies in Ireland as an ideal environment to host Europe’s cybersecurity expansion.
“Today’s vote was an important move to strengthen cybersecurity across the EU, overwhelmingly supported in Parliament with 586 votes to 44.
“The EU Cybersecurity Act will establish the first EU-wide certification scheme to ensure that certain products, processes and services sold in the EU meet cybersecurity standards.
“Information Technology (IT) is now a part of our daily lives, and consumers and businesses have to be able to trust the technology they use.
“This cybersecurity certification scheme will be based on existing international and European standards, in order to support innovation as well as IT security across the EU.
“This allows the EU to be at the cutting-edge of global technology developments and tackle security risks, and with Ireland’s strong tech presence we have potential to be a world leader in this area.
“By coming together to strengthen the EU’s cybersecurity, Member States are highlighting the importance of fighting cybercrime, and the knock-on effect of tackling hacking and even cyberbullying. The digital world is developing rapidly so it is crucial that we find EU-wide solutions to protect citizens,” he concluded.
