INTRODUCTION
The Network and Information Security Directive, commonly known
as the Cybersecurity Directive (the "Directive"), was
approved by the European Parliament (the "Parliament") on
the 13 March 2014 with a strong majority of 521 votes for to only
22 against1. This approval comes after the Directive was
significantly amended by the Parliament's Internal Market and
Consumer Protection Committee ("IMCO"). The Directive is
the European Union's first comprehensive attempt to establish a
set of minimum cybersecurity standards that would apply across the
continent.
This latest version will now move to the Council of the EU (the
"Council") for negotiation, where interests of Member
States will be brought to bear on the text. As a result, the extent
of the reforms to be put in motion by the final Directive remains
uncertain, as further amendments are expected. It is anticipated
that the Directive will be adopted by 2015, leaving Member States
eighteen months to
