Meeting in the Health Committee on Wednesday 19 February to hear the European Commission present its action plan to ensure hospital cybersecurity (see EUROPE 13558/6), MEPs placed particular emphasis on the financing of the plan and its links with the European Health Data Space.
The Commission wants to help Member States to better protect themselves against attacks by using existing legislation on cybersecurity (see EUROPE 13536/18) and by creating a pan-European support centre linked to ENISA, offering “tailored tools, services and training”.
MEP Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatian), whose comments were echoed by his colleague Kateřina Konečná (NI, Czech), asked the Commission representatives for details of the direct funding needed to successfully implement the plan: “What will be the sources, the distribution between the Member States and the European programmes?”, the Croatian MEP inquired.
“I do not see any specific financial plan, which makes me doubt that the plan will be implemented. There is a need for real, direct and active help. How can we fund it all?”, insisted Kateřina Konečná.
In response, the European Commission stressed that, while it is indeed crucial to provide financial resources, it is also necessary to “organise coordinated action in Europe to prepare and react effectively. Sharing data between Member States would greatly improve the quality of a coordinated response”.
“Funding will be a shared responsibility, involving joint efforts at European and national level. The Digital Europe programme will fund pilot projects focusing on hospitals, with specific funding for ENISA to implement its tasks. The aim is to create a leverage effect with other programmes in the European budget”, explained Christiane Kirketerp de Viron, Head of Unit at DG Connect.
The Commission hopes to be able to encourage hospitals to back up their data more effectively, to train and employ people with cybersecurity skills and to help victim services not to pay ransoms. A more detailed plan should be presented by the end of the year. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)