EDA and ECCC Strengthen Cooperation to Reinforce EU Cyber Defence

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 30 September that will strengthen cooperation between the civil and defence communities in the field of cybersecurity research and innovation. 

The agreement gives practical effect to the Council Conclusions on the EU Policy on Cyber Defence (May 2023) and the Joint Communication on EU Cyber Defence (November 2022), which both underline the need for stronger EU resilience against cyber threats, closer civil–military cooperation, and investment in cutting-edge cyber defence capabilities. 

By aligning their respective mandates, EDA and ECCC will support these policy objectives, ensuring that EU-level funding, research, and capability development in cybersecurity and cyber defence move forward in a coherent and mutually reinforcing manner. 

A Living Roadmap for Cooperation
The MoU foresees the establishment of a joint roadmap to be regularly updated with priority topics for collaboration. This mechanism will allow both organisations to exchange perspectives, compare notes, and identify synergies in their respective roles: 

• ECCC, as the EU body created to manage the cybersecurity parts of Horizon Europe and Digital Europe, sets research priorities and channels funding to civilian and dual-use projects. 
• EDA, by contrast, identifies research and technology priorities for defence, including cyber defence, and develops collaborative projects to address capability needs. 

By coordinating and aligning their relevant work strands, the two bodies aim to avoid duplication, build on complementary expertise, and ensure that investments in cybersecurity serve both civilian and defence needs.

Operational Cooperation via CapTech Cyber
From the EDA side, the cooperation will be carried out through CapTech Cyber, one of EDA’s 15 Capability Technology groups, which focuses on research and technology activities to meet agreed defence capability needs. Close interaction between CapTech Cyber and the ECCC is expected to further enhance Europe’s ability to deliver impactful collaborative projects. 

Strengthening Europe’s Resilience
The MoU is another milestone in building a stronger, more resilient Europe. It reflects the political ambition expressed by Member States to act together for a stronger cyber defence, to strengthen civil–military coordination, and to invest in full-spectrum cyber capabilities – as called for by the Council and the Commission.