Is the EU's critical infrastructure under threat? European Commission calls for stress test
The Commission said urgent action is needed to strengthen the EU's defences against attacks on critical infrastructure both within the EU and in its immediate neighbourhood.
“With Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the sabotage of Nord Stream and the German rail network – it's clear we need to accelerate our work to protect our infrastructure,
said Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson at a press conference presenting the proposal.
"The European Parliament and the Council already agreed to deepen the legislative framework to strengthen the resilience of entities operating critical infrastructure. However, with the threats we see today, we need to accelerate the application of the new rules and intensify our work with additional measures and closer cooperation," she added.
THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSAL FOCUSES ON ENHANCING PREPAREDNESS AGAINST POTENTIAL THREATS, WORKING WITH MEMBER STATES TO STRESS TEST CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE ENERGY SECTOR.
Furthermore, the Commission says there should be an emphasis on increasing response capacity through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, making good use of satellite infrastructure to detect threats, and strengthening cooperation with NATO and key partners to improve resilience.
Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen will present a proposal for a Council Recommendation on Critical Infrastructure Resilience to EU leaders at an EU summit starting on Thursday.
Cover photo: Getty Images
