EU-UK: Third Cyber Dialogue, reinforcing their collaboration on cybersecurity

On 9 and 10 December, the European Union and the United Kingdom held their third Cyber Dialogue in Brussels, as set out under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

During the dialogue, the EU and UK exchanged views on the evolving cyber threat landscape, as well as discussed ways to strengthen cybersecurity capacity and deter malicious cyber activity. Both partners shared updates on policy and regulatory developments, as well as on mechanisms for cybersecurity crisis coordination. Discussions also covered efforts to counter cybercrime, including ransomware, a malicious attack that locks data and demands payment to unlock it.

The dialogue also addressed how to enhance accountability and promote responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, including in the context of ongoing discussions at the United Nations.

The EU and UK agreed to hold the next dialogue in 2026 in London.

The Cyber Dialogue was co-chaired by Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the EEAS, and Christiane Kirketerp de Viron, Acting Director for Cybersecurity and Trust at the European Commission, on the EU side, and Andrew Whittaker, Cyber Director at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as Irfan Hemani, Deputy Director for Cyber Security and Policy in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, on the UK’s side.