The post-Brexit EU-UK relationship: an opportunity or challenge for cyber security?
The post-Brexit EU-UK relationship: an opportunity or challenge for cyber security?
Key Points
- The United Kingdom (UK) officially exited the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020, nearly four years after a polarising Brexit referendum. Following extended negotiations on future relations, two key agreements entered into force on 1 May 2021 containing sections on trade, cooperation, and security, with the latter including cyber security.
- These new agreements are a positive step towards a new cooperative model, but questions remain over what type of relationship the EU and UK will have in reality when it comes to cyber security.
- Three potential pathways for this future relationship are possible, with each pathway presenting both new opportunities and new challenges for cyber security. These pathways are as follows:
- a completely autonomous UK, which would encourage home-grown national security advances, but would discount the view of cyber security as a collective concern;
- increased international dependence for the UK, which would facilitate greater collaboration with the wider cyber community, but would not acknowledge the unique value of regional coordination; and
- the replication of the pre-Brexit EU-UK partnership through the establishment of new bilateral relations that will preserve the security relationship, but demote Britain’s former leadership status within EU agencies and initiatives to that of a third party.
- The most positive outcome would be a relationship in which both the EU and UK contribute to a professional, transparent and non-political cooperative model that would build on the recent agreements, while remaining open to flexible support in the future given the unpredictable and complex nature of cyber threats.
- If the relationship outcome proves operationally successful, it could be a potential model for non-EU-member entities also seeking cyber security cooperation with the EU.
About the Authors
Ellie Templeton is a Cyber Security Project and Research Officer working for the Cyber Security Cluster at the GCSP. Ellie has an International Master’s Degree in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies from the University of Glasgow, Dublin City University and Charles (Prague) University, and an LLB from the University of Birmingham.
Dr Robert S. Dewar is the Head of Cyber Security at the GCSP, leading the Centre’s cyber security activities and executive education courses. He engages in international dialogue activities and conducts research into cyber security and defence policy, security studies, active and blended
learning, the EU, and historical institutionalism. He also specialises in designing, developing and staging policy-based cyber security simulations. He has a PhD in EU Cyber Security Policy, an MSc in Global Security from the University of Glasgow, and an MA (Hons) in Modern History from the University of St Andrews.