The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has been officially designated as a Program Root in the global Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program. It marks a significant step in the EU’s efforts to bolster cybersecurity resilience and streamline vulnerability coordination across member states.
As a Program Root, ENISA will serve as the central point of contact for national authorities, EU CSIRTs network members, and other partners operating under its mandate. The move aligns with major legislative efforts such as NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act, while further supporting the rollout of the EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD).
Boris Cipot, Principal Security Engineer at Black Duck, described the development as “a major step toward a stronger cybersecurity resilience in Europe,” noting that centralizing vulnerability coordination “ensures a faster, more consistent handling of security vulnerability information across the EU while also aligning with key initiatives like NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act.”
He added that ENISA’s new role gives the bloc “the needed strategic autonomy in vulnerability management,” reducing reliance on non-EU entities and helping “harmonize the CVE practices across European member states.”
Cipot also highlighted the long-term benefits for researchers and vendors and said “the idea and goal is to give researchers and cybersecurity vendors the capability to gain CVE ID assignment quicker, have a clearer legal guidance under EU law, and gain enhanced visibility through both the EUVD and global CVE listings.”
Daniel dos Santos, head of research at Forescout, explained that the designation reflects momentum on both sides. “It shows both ENISA’s commitment to the CVE program and also that the CVE program is interested in having ENISA’s contributions there,” he said. “Everyone gains when there are more organizations involved in shaping the CVE program and the future of vulnerability reporting.”
He also noted that the shift should “facilitate the process for national authorities, CSIRTs and other partners, since they can have a single point of contact with the CVE program in Europe,” while helping researchers and vendors agree on coordinated disclosure practices.
However, both experts cautioned that successful implementation would depend heavily on resources. Cipot pointed to potential integration challenges, including alignment of policies and tooling, while dos Santos emphasized the need for sustained investment.
“The main challenge is ensuring that ENISA has enough funding and resources to fulfil its ongoing mission of “achieving a high common level of cybersecurity across Europe” while now also having an extended role in the CVE program,” explained Forescout’s dos Santos. “There have been several additions to ENISA’s mandate recently, with the launch of the EU Vulnerability Database and the Cyber Resilience Act. As the recent NVD backlog and funding issues have shown, vulnerability reporting is a task that demands a significant amount of time and effort, so ENISA will have to balance that with their ongoing responsibilities.”
With ENISA taking on greater responsibility in vulnerability reporting and coordination, its performance will be closely watched by security teams, vendors and policymakers alike across the region.
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