3.1. EU leadership on standards, norms and frameworks in cyberspace Stepping up on international standardisation To promote and defend its vision of cyberspace at the international level, the EU needs to step up its engagement in, and leadership on international standardisation processes, and enhance its representation in international and European standardisation bodies as well as other standard development organisations101. As digital technologies are developing at a fast pace, international standards are of increasing importance in complementing traditional regulatory efforts in areas such as AI, cloud, quantum computing and quantum communication. International standardisation is increasingly used by third countries to advance their political and ideological agenda, which often does not correspond with the values of the EU. In addition, there is a growing risk of competing frameworks for international standardisation, leading to fragmentation. Shaping international standards in the areas of emerging technologies and the core internet architecture in line with EU values is essential to ensure that the Internet remains global and open, that technologies are human-centric, privacy-focused, and that their use is lawful, safe and ethical. As part of its upcoming Standardisation Strategy, the EU should define its objectives for international standardisation, and conduct proactive and coordinated outreach to promote these at international level. Stronger cooperation and burden sharing should be sought with like-minded partners and European stakeholders. Advance Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace The EU continues to work with international partners to advance and promote a global, open, stable and secure cyberspace where international law, in particular the United Nations (UN) Charter102, is respected, and the voluntary non-binding norms, rules and principles of responsible state behaviour103 are adhered to. With the deterioration of an effective multilateral debate on international security in cyberspace, there is a clear need for the EU and Member States to take a more proactive stance in the discussions in the UN and other relevant international fora. The EU is best placed to advance, coordinate and consolidate Member States’ positions in international fora, and should develop an EU position on the application of international law in cyberspace. The High Representative, together with the Member States, also aims to take forward their inclusive and consensus-based proposal for a political commitment on a Programme of Action to Advance Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace (PoA)104 in the UN. Building on the existing acquis as endorsed by the UN General Assembly105, the PoA offers a platform for cooperation and exchange of 101 E.g. the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). 102 https://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/un-charter-full-text/ 103 As reflected in the relevant reports of the Groups of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (UNGGEs), endorsed by the UNGA, notably the 2015, 2013 and 2010 reports. 104 https://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/joint-contribution-poa-the-future-of-cyber-discussionsat-the-un-10302020.pdf 105 As reflected in the relevant reports of the Groups of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (UNGGEs), endorsed by the UNGA notably the: 2015, 2013 and 2010 reports. 20