Italy resisting EU push to impose sanctions over
cyberattacks
Send a link to a friend
[October 15, 2018]
By Francesco Guarascio
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Italy is resisting a
European Union push to impose sanctions on states who carry out
cyberattacks, a move that appears in line with Rome's calls to
de-escalate tensions with Russia but that could alienate Italy from its
EU allies.
Diplomats said the sanctions plan is meant to strengthen EU defenses and
deterrence against cyberattacks, in particular from Russia, which has
been in recent months at the center of allegations of elections meddling
in various Western states as well as security breaches conducted through
electronic means.
But Italy has opposed the idea of a new penalty regime, a confidential
EU document seen by Reuters shows. The plan has broad support among EU
states except for Italy, according to the document.
Italian officials were not immediately available for comment.
Italy has repeatedly urged a relaxation of the sanctions against Russia,
which has been the target of a wide range of EU economic penalties since
the 2014 Ukraine crisis.
This position has been opposed by the large majority of EU states that
have regularly renewed the sanctions regime against Moscow because of
its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and continuing support for
pro-Russian separatist rebels there.
The proposals for sanctioning cyberattacks were discussed in meetings
this week in preparation for an EU summit that will take place next week
in Brussels.
"Responding to large-scale cyberattacks from foreign actors, in
particular when they are aimed at our elections, is vital," EU Security
Commissioner Julian King told Reuters, adding that sanctions should be
considered "where appropriate".
[to top of second column] |
A man types on a
computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration
file picture. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
Britain, France, Estonia, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania
and Poland called for the introduction of sanctions, the document shows.
Belgium, Finland and Sweden support a "gradual response" to future attacks that
could include a number of measures before sanctions, the document shows.
Rome has long said that existing sanctions are damaging Italian firms trading
with Moscow, and calls for de-escalating tensions with Moscow have grown louder
since a new anti-establishment government took office in Italy in June.
Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's co-ruling far-right League, is an admirer of
Russian President Vladimir Putin and has rejected allegations of Russian
meddling in Western elections.
EU diplomats said the plan was also aimed at preventing cyber-attacks from China
and North Korea.
(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio with additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop,
Alissa De Carbonnel and Robin Emmott; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|