Belgium is taking an important step in developing its own cybersecurity certification capabilities for highly critical products. The first European certification scheme EUCC, or EU Common Criteria, aims to certify highly critical products such as smart cards, electronic identity card chips, digital wallet components, smartphones and so on. This scheme will soon be ready for launch and Belgian certification bodies are preparing to offer it.

In the context of global cooperation, mutual recognition between the global CCRA and the European EUCC scheme is envisaged. As part of the launch of cybersecurity certification activities for products, services and processes, Belgium has been accepted as a 'consuming CCRA member' of the CCRA Mutual Recognition Scheme. This is a necessary step to develop the certification capacity in Belgium. In fact, this step is a prerequisite to eventually become an 'authorising CCRA member', which will allow European certificates issued by Belgian certification bodies to be recognised worldwide through the CCRA logo. This step towards full CCRA membership is an important one, as it has a positive impact on the business case of interested Belgian certification bodies.

Paving the Way for Global Collaboration and Recognition

The acceptance of membership follows an application in which the CCB, as a competent authority, has made its intentions clear, will comply with the CCRA conditions and has underpinned this by building up know-how in close cooperation with colleagues from the Netherlands, Germany and France and within the development of the European Common Criteria certification scheme.