Overview: With “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks looming, the EU advances PQC by 2026, and critical sectors like energy and telecoms to complete upgrades by 2030. This timeline underscores the urgent need for a coordinated and strategic transition to safeguard Europe’s digital and physical assets against emerging quantum threats.
Quantum computing may not have broken today’s cryptography — yet. But European regulators have made it clear: organizations cannot afford to wait.
On June 23, 2025, the EU PQC Workstream released the first installment of its Coordinated Implementation Roadmap for the Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography — a high-level plan that outlines how Member States must act now to safeguard digital infrastructure from the threats posed by quantum computing.
As the leader in digital trust and crypto-agility, Keyfactor welcomes this decisive step. The transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is complex, but the new roadmap gives European organizations clear, urgent guidance.
Here’s what you need to know — and how to get ready.
1. Urgency is not optional: Start now or risk falling behind.
The roadmap sets ambitious milestones:
- By end of 2026: Member States must establish national PQC roadmaps and launch pilots for high- and medium-risk use cases.
- By end of 2030: Transition of high-risk use cases should be complete. Quantum-safe software and firmware upgrades should be the default.
- By 2035: PQC should be implemented across most medium- and low-risk systems.
These timelines are based on current quantum development forecasts, but unexpected advances could shorten the window. Bottom line: If your systems protect sensitive data or rely on long-lifecycle infrastructure, planning must begin today.
2. Inventory and visibility come first.
You can’t protect what you can’t see. One of the EU’s first recommendations is to build a mature cryptographic inventory — a structured overview of all cryptographic assets, dependencies, and systems using public-key cryptography.
According to the EU’s report:
“Member States should promote and support that useful cryptographic inventories are being created and maintained. Generating and maintaining cryptographic inventories can be aided by tools (discovery and asset management tools).”
At Keyfactor, we help organizations do just that. Our cryptographic discovery capabilities allow you to identify and inventory quantum-vulnerable cryptography across your entire environment and uncover hidden risks.
This visibility is essential to performing a quantum risk analysis — the foundation for a prioritized migration strategy.
3. High-risk use cases need immediate attention.
The roadmap defines high-risk use cases as those where a compromise 10+ years from now would still be damaging — think national infrastructure, long-term data retention, or systems with high migration complexity.
For these, the EU recommends:
- Prioritizing PQC pilot projects in 2025–2026
- Replacing quantum-vulnerable public-key algorithms (like RSA and ECC) with hybrid solutions that combine PQC and traditional cryptography
- Avoiding the use of vulnerable algorithms as standalone methods past 2030
Keyfactor Tip: Hybrid certificate support is already available through platforms like Keyfactor Command, allowing a gradual, standards-based path to quantum readiness.
4. Crypto-agility is the name of the game.
If cryptography is hard-coded, inflexible, or untracked, transitioning to PQC will be a nightmare. That’s why the EU emphasizes cryptographic agility — the ability to identify, update, and replace algorithms without breaking systems.
We’ve built crypto-agility into the core of Keyfactor’s solutions. From certificate lifecycle automation to key management, our platform enables you to adapt quickly as PQC standards evolve.
5. Regulations are tightening — and boards are on the hook.
PQC readiness isn’t just a best practice — it’s a growing legal requirement. Under the NIS2 Directive, DORA, and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act, organizations must adopt state-of-the-art cryptography and include quantum risk in cybersecurity governance.
That includes:
- Executive accountability: Management bodies may be held liable for non-compliance.
- Default cryptography upgrades: Products must be upgradable to PQC, especially those released after December 2027.
- Supply chain scrutiny: Vendors must align with your PQC roadmap and crypto-agility requirements.
Where to Go from Here
The EU’s roadmap offers clear direction, but execution is where many organizations will struggle. At Keyfactor, we work with enterprises and government agencies to simplify and accelerate this transition.
Here’s how to get started:
- Discover your cryptographic footprint and assess quantum risk.
- Prioritize high-risk systems and develop hybrid strategies.
- Automate certificate management and enforce crypto-agility.
- Collaborate with your vendors and supply chain to align on PQC readiness.
- Stay informed by engaging in standards development and EU-level initiatives.
The Takeaway
The post-quantum future is no longer hypothetical, and neither is the regulatory pressure. But with the right visibility, agility, and automation, European organizations can take control of their cryptographic future. At Keyfactor, we’re ready to help.
Let’s do digital trust right — even in a quantum world.
