Art.30.1 NIS2

NIS2 Art.30.1: Cooperation Group and Strategic Coordination

What This Control Requires

A Cooperation Group is hereby established in order to support and facilitate strategic cooperation and the exchange of information among Member States and to strengthen mutual trust and confidence.

In Plain Language

Understanding where regulatory expectations are heading is half the battle with NIS2 compliance. The Cooperation Group - made up of Member State representatives, the European Commission, and ENISA - shapes how NIS2 requirements are interpreted and enforced across the EU.

You will not sit at their table, but their decisions directly affect you. The Group develops implementation guidance, promotes best practice exchange between Member States, works to harmonise divergent approaches, and advises on how NIS2 applies to specific sectors. Their output signals what supervisors will focus on next.

While Cooperation Group guidance is not technically legally binding, it represents the collective view of EU cybersecurity regulators. Ignoring it puts you at odds with regulatory expectations in practice, even if not in law.

How to Implement

Set up a regulatory intelligence function that tracks Cooperation Group outputs. Watch for implementation guidance on specific NIS2 articles, best practice recommendations, sector-specific guidance, reports on common challenges and solutions, and coordinated risk assessments.

Subscribe to ENISA publications and newsletters - ENISA runs the Group's secretariat and publishes most of its output. Also monitor your national competent authority's website for national guidance that reflects Cooperation Group decisions.

When new guidance comes out, assess the impact on your compliance approach. Check whether it changes how requirements you have already implemented should be interpreted, whether new best practices suggest improvements to your security measures, whether supervisory focus areas match your current posture, and whether any gaps need remediation.

If the Cooperation Group seeks stakeholder input on sector-specific issues, participate. Industry associations often coordinate sector responses to these consultations.

Use Cooperation Group outputs as a benchmarking tool. When guidance describes how specific measures should be implemented, compare your approach and adjust where you are out of step.

Feed regulatory developments into your compliance training. Staff responsible for NIS2 compliance need to stay current as expectations evolve.

Maintain a library of relevant Cooperation Group and ENISA publications, cross-referenced with your compliance documentation. This shows regulators that you are actively tracking and responding to EU-level guidance.

Evidence Your Auditor Will Request

Regulatory intelligence monitoring process for Cooperation Group outputs
Records of Cooperation Group guidance reviewed and assessed
Gap analysis conducted against new guidance or best practices
Compliance programme updates triggered by regulatory developments
Library of relevant Cooperation Group and ENISA publications

Common Mistakes

Organisation unaware of Cooperation Group existence or its relevance
No monitoring of EU-level cybersecurity guidance and policy developments
Compliance approach static; not adapted to evolving regulatory expectations
Sector-specific guidance not identified or applied
Gap between published best practices and actual implementation not assessed

Related Controls Across Frameworks

Framework	Control ID	Relationship
ISO 27001	A.5.36	Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cooperation Group guidance legally binding?

Not technically, no. But it carries significant weight because it reflects the collective position of EU cybersecurity regulators. National competent authorities heavily reference it when interpreting and enforcing NIS2. Treating it as optional is a risky strategy.

Where can we access Cooperation Group outputs?

ENISA's website (enisa.europa.eu) is the main source, since ENISA provides the Group's secretariat. Your national competent authority will also publish relevant guidance. Industry associations often aggregate and summarise the most relevant outputs for their members, which can save you time.

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