Minister of e-Government Valentin Mundrov met today in Brussels with European Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva. During the conversation, the two discussed key topics related to the development of digital services, European policies in the field of innovation and the strategic importance of cybersecurity for the competitiveness of the IT sector in Bulgaria.
Minister Mundrov stressed that the topic of cybersecurity is increasingly important and requires a long-term vision and coordination at the national and European level. “We have responsible tasks, and cooperation with the European Commission and a shared vision for the digital future are key to their successful implementation“, said the minister. He informed Commissioner Zaharieva that Bulgaria is building a centralized national cybersecurity system that will guarantee national security and data sovereignty. The two agreed that the Ministry of e-Government should be the coordinating body in protecting national systems, including in the context of high-risk technologies.
The conversation also focused on the progress in building the EU Digital Identity Wallet - the national mobile application for European electronic identity. “We need to catch up with the digital wallet. For the Ministry of e-Government, this is a top priority and the application should be ready next year“, said Mundrov. European Commissioner Zaharieva noted that the digital wallet is one of the most important tools for completing the single European market and stressed the importance of investments in IT technologies.
European initiatives for technological sovereignty, the development of the European cloud and the need to harmonize rules in the field of cybersecurity were also discussed. “Europe must develop its own technologies on which to rely. Bulgaria has potential and Bulgarian companies can be fully competitive in this area“, emphasized Valentin Mundrov.
The Minister also introduced the Commissioner to the results of the Digital Sovereignty Summit held in Berlin, at which the largest European provider of software solutions – and third in the world – expressed interest in investing in Bulgaria.
Another topic of conversation was the transposition of the NIS2 Directive in Bulgaria, with the amendments to the Cybersecurity Act being a priority for the sector. Minister Mundrov also presented the work of the National Computer Security Incident Response Team, which monitors and analyzes cyber threats, supports cybersecurity preparation and training and actively participates in international cyber exercises.
The working meeting was held within the framework of Minister Mundrov's participation in the Council of the European Union on Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, which is taking place in Brussels.