The EU transition to quantum safe: an entangled discussion

As the EU accelerates its preparations for the post-quantum era, the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Cooperation Group’s post-quantum cryptography (PQC) roadmap provides clear milestones, indicative timelines and step-by-step guidance for Member States – with the first such milestone as soon as December 2026. 

However, there are significant risks in pursuing an EU quantum-safe roadmap without a coordinated transition strategy. A roadmap must specify what milestones are required and by when, but only a supporting strategy can define how Member States, vendors and institutions will meet them. Without synchronised standards, certification schemes, interoperability frameworks and testing infrastructures, regulation may outpace readiness. The roadmap should therefore be embedded in a broader EU framework that aligns national plans, industry efforts, and regulatory tools, ensuring coordination across the current regulations, and guided by the institutional actors of the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Commission and standardisation bodies to deliver a coherent, actionable transition. 

This Lab session explores the practical, political and technical steps required to translate  the  NIS Group’s roadmap into an actionable  EU-wide quantum  transition  strategy. The discussion brings together key actors, including national cybersecurity agencies, the European Commission, academics and standardisation  bodies to create a harmonised  and scalable PQC  transition  across  Europe.