EC Proposes Measures to Improve Protection of Critical Infrastructure in Europe

December 12, 2006 // Published as a news service by IHS

The European Commission (EC) adopted a communication on a European programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) and a proposal for a directive on the identification and designation of critical infrastructure in Europe. These two measures were undertaken to fight terrorism more effectively and to provide better infrastructure security of critical infrastructure in the European Union (EU).

"The security and economy of the European Union as well as the well-being of our citizens depend on certain infrastructure and the services they provide," said EC vice president Franco Frattini, commissioner responsible for justice, freedom and security. "The disruption of such infrastructure could mean the loss of lives, the loss of property and a collapse of public confidence in the EU. The package we present today aims at ensuring that any eventual disruptions or manipulations of critical infrastructure remain as brief, infrequent, manageable, geographically isolated and minimally detrimental as possible."

The CIP programme includes:

• A directive of the EU Council of Ministers on the identification and designation of European critical infrastructure and the assessment of the need to improve its protection. The proposed directive establishes a procedure for the identification and designation of such critical infrastructure and a common approach to the assessment of the needs to improve its protection.
• Measures designed to facilitate the implementation of CIP, including a CIP action plan, the Critical Infrastructure Warning Information Network, the use of CIP expert groups at the EU level, CIP information sharing processes, and the identification and analysis of interdependencies.
• Support for member states concerning national critical infrastructures that could optionally be used by the member states.
• Accompanying financial measures, in particular, the proposed EU programme on "Prevention, Preparedness and Consequence Management of Terrorism and other Security Related Risks" for the period 2007-2013, which will provide funding opportunities for CIP-related measures having a potential for EU transferability.

For more information, see:
- EU web page on Protect Infrastructures
- EU web site on Security in Transport & Energy
- MEMO/06/477 on the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection
- Frattini's web site

Source: European Commission.