The rationale for bringing the newly established European Cybersecurity
Industrial, Technology and Research Centre to Bucharest is multifaceted and deserves full consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Romanian capital pipped Brussels in the second round of voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bucharest\u00a0will host the European Cybersecurity Competence Center, a future\u00a0hub\u00a0to distribute EU and national funding for cybersecurity research projects across the bloc, after the majority of EU countries voted for it yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city was selected from a list of seven vying to host the center, including Brussels, Munich, Warsaw, Vilnius, Luxembourg and Le\u00f3n in Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diplomats selected Bucharest with 15 votes in its favor, several EU diplomats said, in a second round of votes that pitted Brussels against Romania\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHub for high tech and innovation, featuring a thriving digital ecosystem, dynamic and young, Romania\u2019s capital will take this task in a responsible and dedicated manner, to the benefit of the entire European Union,\u201d Romania\u2019s permanent representation to the EU tweeted after the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The center\u2019s core job will be to manage cybersecurity funds from the EU\u2019s research budgets, including about \u20ac2 billion earmarked in its Digital Europe program and many millions more via innovation funding and coronavirus recovery funds, in addition to national contributions. The bloc is still finalizing its long-term budget for 2021-2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The center will not be a formal EU agency but is expected to bring dozens of jobs to Bucharest \u2014 about 30 to start, and up to 80 according to some estimates. It should also help boost business for local cybersecurity companies and burnish the host country\u2019s reputation on cyber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romania doesn\u2019t yet host an EU agency, which played in its favor. It also ranks third in EU statistics on women employees in information and communications technology (ICT) and 24 percent of ICT graduates in Romania are women, the country\u2019s bid book said. National capitals have also been wary to put the center in Brussels \u2014 close to the EU\u2019s main institutions \u2014 because of fears that this would erode national competence over security issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The European Commission, Parliament and Council are still finalizing the details of how the center will be governed. An agreement on a new law establishing the center is expected to be struck before the end of the year, and negotiators will meet this Friday to try to clinch a deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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