According to a press release published in the official website of The European Council, it has accepted the proposal to develop a crucial framework that encourages a joint EU diplomatic response to malicious cyber activities. This diplomatic response also termed as the “cyber diplomacy toolbox,” is specifically designed to deliver a synchronized approach by all EU states to deal with malicious cyber activities.
The aforesaid framework was first presented at the Political and Security Committee meeting on 14 March 2017 by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The EEAS basically carry’s out various tasks which are vital in carrying out the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The EU has felt the need for a collective response in order to counter cyber threats waged by multiple sources, both state and non-state actors. One of the most key points that the initial draft of the EU diplomatic response to malicious cyber activities enumerates is that the member states would have now be able to wage sanctions on the source of the cyber attack be it a state or a non-state actor. The sanctions or the restrictive measures may include restrictions on admission, freezing of assets, investment banks, and other economic sanctions.
As mentioned in the press release published, the aim of the framework is to encourage cooperation, facilitate mitigation of immediate and long-term threats, and influence the behavior of potential aggressors in the long term.
The EU Council also concluded that the, “attribution to a State or a non-State actor remains a sovereign political decision based on all -source intelligence and should be established in accordance with international law of State responsibility. In that regard, the EU stresses that not all measures of a joint EU diplomatic response to malicious cyber activities require attribution to a State or a non-State actor.
The development of the Joint EU diplomatic response to malicious cyber activities comes before the German national elections that would that would take place this year. Apparently, there is a growing fear of the Russian intelligence trying to influence the outcome of the elections. There also have been instances where the Russians have allegedly penetrated vital network installations and have accessed important election related data in France and the United States as well. However, these actions have been repeatedly denied by Kremlin and its representatives.