Position paper - Position on the Directive on security of network and information systems (NIS Directive)

AmCham EU welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the European Commission’s review of the functioning of Directive (EU) 2016/1148 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information security across the Union (NIS Directive).

As the EU’s economy and society continues to embrace digital solutions, the need to ensure that Europe’s networks and systems are resilient against evolving cyberattacks has never been higher. AmCham EU welcomes the role played by the NIS Directive in achieving this objective, through the introduction of concrete measures to mitigate the growing cyber threats to vital sectors of the EU economy. Cybersecurity is a responsibility of government and industry alike and the most effective way of advancing it is through public-private partnerships, harmonisation and global cooperation. In order to make this ecosystem thrive, it is fundamental to make privacy, security and trust a priority.

We support the European Commission’s initiative to further strengthen Europe’s resilience, through the revised NIS Directive and other measures. As such, we believe it is a better approach to fine-tune the current Directive, rather than to expand the obligations or rescind the Directive and move to a new Regulation. It has taken significant time for industry and governments to work together effectively to put in place all the measures required. Europe cannot afford another long cybersecurity policy debate.