Such multi-country SOCs could also allow for the participation of defence entities by establishing a ‘defence pillar’ in terms of governance and type of information shared. This ‘defence pillar’ would be developed together with the High Representative and could include a dedicated mechanism for exchanging information with military actors, including EUCDCC, for which defence-level security standards could be developed. EU Cyber Solidarity in preparedness, response and recovery Significant cybersecurity incidents are often too disruptive for a single or several affected Member States to handle alone. In such cases, Member States need to be able to draw on mutual assistance and solidarity including in the context of Article 42(7) TEU and Article 222 TFEU. The High Representative, in cooperation with the Commission and Member States, will explore possibilities for the expansion of the concept of cyber rapid reaction teams (CRRT), building on the related PESCO CRRT project, in order to better support EU Member States and CSDP missions and operations. The role of such teams would be to provide tailored and targeted short-term assistance upon request and depending on the specific needs in each case. It could also include, when relevant, options for the support from trusted private partners to ensure efficient response and recovery actions. As part of the EU Cyber Solidarity initiative, the Commission is preparing actions to strengthen preparedness and response actions across the EU. This would include the testing of essential entities operating critical infrastructure for potential vulnerabilities based on EU risk assessments – building on actions already initiated by the Commission together with ENISA as well as incident response actions to mitigate the impact of serious incidents, to support immediate recovery and/or restore the functioning of essential services17. The EU Cyber Solidarity initiative could support the gradual set-up of an EU-level cyber reserve with services from trusted private providers that would be ready to intervene at Member States’ request in cases of significant cross-border incidents. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly identified and fully coordinated with existing bodies to ensure that the support from the EU-level cyber reserve is provided where it is needed and complements other potential forms of assistance. While the scope of action and allocation of costs of specific interventions would depend on the EU funding available, the EU would also add value by ensuring the availability and readiness of such an EU-level reserve. To ensure a high level of trust, the Commission will also consider the options of supporting the development of cybersecurity certification schemes for such private cybersecurity companies. Exercises are key element of building preparedness. They foster the development of a common knowledge base and understanding of cyber defence, which in turn enhances operational preparedness. Common cyber defence exercises will also build interoperability and trust between stakeholders, including to support military CSDP missions and operations. Building on the CYBER PHALANX series18 and the milCERTs exercises, EDA will establish a new project CyDef-X, bringing together all Member States, which will serve as a framework for EU cyber defence exercises. This project could serve to exercise mutual assistance under Article 42(7) TEU. The use of dedicated cyber defence testing, training and exercises 17 18 Nevers Call to Reinforce the EU’s Cybersecurity Capabilities https://eda.europa.eu/publications-and-data/factsheets/factsheet-cyber-phalanx 6