Towards a European Cryptographic Policy?
Bart Preneel (KU Leuven, COSIC, Full Professor)
This talk traces the evolution of cryptographic policy in Europe and its influence on the continent’s digital resilience. It begins with the early role of ETSI, whose standards and the RACE RIPE project reflected political pressures to weaken or control encryption in the interests of law enforcement and export compliance. It then examines how these restrictions were gradually relaxed in the late 1990s as Europe recognized the economic importance of strong cryptography. The talk also reviews the subsequent publication of algorithm and parameter recommendations through the ECRYPT project and ENISA, and considers the emerging role of the European Cybersecurity Certification Group within the Common Criteria framework. Together, these developments illustrate the EU’s continuing struggle to reconcile security, innovation, and sovereignty in cryptographic governance.