EU cooperation on cybersecurity with the MENA region is conditioned by two competing claims. Due to the geographical proximity and broad security implications for the EU, the MENA region is one of the priorities of the EU’s external relations. Over the past two decades, and especially after the Arab Spring, the EU has invested significant resources to support the reforms in the region and align its policies with its own. At the same time, however, this ambition to cooperate closely with the region is often made more complicated by the situation on the ground. This is particularly the case of cyber resilience cooperation, where even despite overlapping interests, the EU needs to exercise enhanced due diligence in order to avoid undermining the already fragile human rights protection in some of those countries.

This event will aim to answer how the EU can reconcile these two elements – the willingness to engage in closer cooperation and the need for a cautious approach to cybersecurity cooperation – in relations with the MENA countries.

It is co-organised with the European Union Institute for Security Studies and EU Cyber. Register now!