The Encryption Debate in the European Union

Tags: 2010s EU International

Authors: Koomen, Maria and Koomen, Maria

Published: May 2019

URL: https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/05/30/encryption-debate-in-european-union-pub-79220

Abstract: The Encryption Debate in the European Union is a policy brief that describes the intensifying encryption debate in the European Union, the interests and actors involved, and a possible timeline and substance of potential legislation. While encryption had largely thrived in Europe since the 1990s, the occurrence of multiple terror attacks in the late 10’s sparked a debate about encryption and national security within the EU. The article then describes a 2016 EU Council Questionnaire regarding encryption, the 2017 European Commission position on encryption, and the technical debates surrounding those documents. The paper lays out the legal landscape for encryption going into the 2019-2024 EU Council, and the direction the encryption debate in Europe is headed.