The European Union is poised to use artificial intelligence and other tools to create a "cyber shield" protecting critical infrastructure and sectors from threats, officials said Wednesday.
The move is enshrined in a new piece of legislation, the Cyber Solidarity Act, that was agreed overnight by negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament.
The law, which needs a final sign-off from the parliament and the European Council, "will leverage state-of-the-art tools and infrastructures, such as artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics, to swiftly detect cyber threats and incidents," a European Commission statement said.
It will do that through the set-up of a European Cybersecurity Alert System designed to give real-time information to authorities.
The initiative comes as EU countries face rising threats from cyber sabotage, with infrastructure increasingly linked online and AI potentially allowing bad actors to better exploit weaknesses.
"It comes at a crucial time for EU cybersecurity, as the cyber threat landscape in the EU continues to be impacted by geopolitical events," the statement said.
A Cybersecurity Emergency Mechanism would also be established under the law to oversee preparedness in health, energy and other critical sectors.
It would be able to tap "trusted providers" in an EU Cybersecurity Reserve to help EU institutions or countries -- or even outside nations associated with the bloc -- counter large-scale attacks.
To that end, the EU negotiators agreed an update to an existing Cybersecurity Act allowing the adoption of European certification schemes such providers could qualify for.
"The Cyber Solidarity Act is a crucial step to establish a European cyber shield," said EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton.
The enhanced cooperation it will bring will contribute to "the security of our citizens," he said.