A broad coalition of 23 leading European business associations, representing companies from startups to established enterprises across the EU, have urged European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen to expedite the adoption of the European Union Certification Scheme for Cloud Services (EUCS). The scheme represents a crucial step toward harmonizing cybersecurity standards and simplifying regulatory compliance across the EU’s digital market.
In a letter sent to the Commissioner, the coalition highlights how EUCS will serve as a cornerstone for strengthening Europe’s cybersecurity framework while enhancing the functioning of the Single Market. The March 2024 draft of EUCS has achieved a balanced approach between robust security requirements and market openness, essential for Europe’s digital growth.
THE COALITION HIGHLIGHT THREE KEY BENEFITS OF EUCS IMPLEMENTATION:
- Market Harmonization: EUCS will establish unified cybersecurity standards across the EU, eliminating current fragmentation in national requirements and creating a true Digital Single Market for cloud services.
- Streamlined Compliance: The scheme can simplify compliance with multiple EU cybersecurity regulations, including NIS2, DORA, and CRA, reducing administrative burden for companies that rely on cloud services and operate across borders.
- Support for European Innovation: The certification scheme will benefit Europe’s growing ecosystem of SaaS providers, startups, and scale-ups, particularly in critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, and business services.
“EUCS represents a significant opportunity to streamline compliance efforts while maintaining high security standards and increasing trust in cloud services” said Ondřej Ferdus, Director of Digital Economy and Technology Department, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic.“Its implementation will benefit both small and large European providers and customers who currently face complex requirements across different member states.”
The coalition emphasizes that the current draft successfully focuses on essential security measures while avoiding duplication with existing data protection regulations like GDPR and the Data Act. This approach ensures clear compliance pathways for businesses while maintaining robust security standards.
The associations urge swift adoption of EUCS as an Implementing Act to accelerate Europe’s digital transformation and support the EU’s goal of 75% enterprise adoption of cloud services, big data, and AI by 2030.
You can find the full text of the letter here.