After a lengthy process for choosing a suitable location to host the EU’s brand-new Cybersecurity Competence Centre, Romania’s capital of Bucharest has emerged victorious. The city had to contend with many other worthy candidates like Lithuania’s Vilnius, Germany’s Munich, Luxembourg, Poland’s Warsaw, Spain’s Leon and the de-facto capital of the EU – Brussels but ultimately came out on top with 15 votes to Brussels’ 12 in the Council.
Overcoming adversity through perseverance
The call for applicants for the establishment of the Centre was announced earlier this year on 28 October as part of the package of measures meant to bolster the European Union’s cybersecurity amid foreign interference fears.
Upon its completion, the new European Cybersecurity Competence Centre is meant to contribute to the deployment of the latest cybersecurity technology, support cybersecurity start-ups and SMEs, enhance cybersecurity research and innovation and contribute to closing the cybersecurity skills gap in the European Union. The ultimate goal, however, is for the centre to become a focal point that is able to pool resources which will in the end improve the safety and integrity of the EU’s cyber space.
Romanian authorities are more than pleased with the outcome as they fought tooth and nail to host the facility which will not only protect the EU as a whole from cyber threats but will also provide high-paying jobs – around 30 at the start, which will grow to around 70-80 in the near future.
The decision, however, is not final as negotiations on the establishment of the Cybersecurity Centre are still ongoing between the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament.
Source: TheMayor.EU
