ANNEX DRAFT COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS ON A FRAMEWORK FOR A JOINT EU DIPLOMATIC RESPONSE TO MALICIOUS CYBER ACTIVITIES ("CYBER DIPLOMACY TOOLBOX") The Council of the European Union adopted the following conclusions: 1. The EU recognises that cyberspace offers significant opportunities, but also poses continuously evolving challenges for EU external policies, including for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and affirms the growing need to protect the integrity and security of the EU, its Member States and their citizens against cyber threats and malicious cyber activities. The EU recalls its conclusions on the EU Cybersecurity strategy 3, in particular its determination to keep cyberspace open, free, stable and secure where fundamental rights and the rule of law fully apply. It also recalls its Conclusions on Cyber Diplomacy 4, in particular that a common and comprehensive EU approach for cyber diplomacy could contribute to conflict prevention, the mitigation of cybersecurity threats and greater stability in international relations. The EU and its Member States note the importance of the ongoing EU cyber diplomacy engagement and of the need for coherence among the EU cyber initiatives to effectively strengthen the cyber resilience, and are encouraged to further intensify their efforts on cyber dialogues within the framework of effective policy coordination, and emphasise the importance of cyber capacity building in third countries. 2. The EU is concerned by the increased ability and willingness of State and non-state actors to pursue their objectives by undertaking malicious cyber activities of varying in scope, scale, duration, intensity, complexity, sophistication and impact. 3 4 12109/13. 6122/15. 9916/17 ANNEX MK/ec DGD2B 3 EN