Luxembourg, 25 June 2024
Because disruptions to critical infrastructure may have repercussions in many EU member states, the Council today adopted a recommendation on a Blueprint to coordinate a response at EU level to disruptions to critical infrastructure with significant cross-border relevance.
Citizens and businesses rely on the functioning of pipelines, power stations and transport hubs. When these and other critical infrastructures are at risk, the EU needs a playbook on how to respond quickly and effectively.
Annelies Verlinden, Belgian Minister of Home Affairs
The recommendation puts in place an EU Critical Infrastructure Blueprint. The objective of the Blueprint is: to promote shared situational awareness of the origin and consequences of an incident, to reinforce the coordination of public communications and to strengthen an effective response.
The Blueprint recommends several actions such as information sharing, coordination with other EU crisis and emergency mechanisms, exchanges on public communication approaches, the preparation of incident reports and technical support provided by other member states or relevant EU institutions to the affected member states.
Specifically, when the member states affected by a critical infrastructure incident with significant cross-border relevance activate this Blueprint, they are recommended to share with the rotating presidency of the Council and the European Commission relevant information on that incident.
According to the recommendation, a critical infrastructure incident with significant cross-border relevance takes place when an incident involving critical infrastructure:
- significantly disrupts the provision of essential services, as assessed by six or more affected member states
- has a significant disruptive effect on the provision of essential services by a critical entity of particular European significance
- significantly disrupts the provision of essential services to or in two or more member states and requires, in agreement with the affected countries, a response at EU level
Next steps
The recommendation encourages all relevant actors to practise and test the functioning of the EU Critical Infrastructure Blueprint at national, regional and EU level.
The Commission will organise the exercise at EU level not later than 18 months after the adoption of the recommendation.
Background
As of 18 October 2024, the Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive will apply throughout the EU. Its aim is to reduce the vulnerabilities and strengthen the resilience of critical entities. Critical entities are entities providing essential services in sectors such as transport, energy and health that are crucial for the maintenance of vital societal functions, economic activities, public health and safety, and the environment.
The directive will oblige member states to put in place a national strategy to enhance the resilience of critical entities, carry out risk assessments and identify those critical entities that provide essential services. Critical entities will need to identify the relevant risks that may significantly disrupt the provision of essential services, take appropriate measures to ensure their resilience and notify the competent authorities of any disruptive incidents.
In the aftermath of the Nord Stream pipeline attack, and complementing the CER directive, the Council adopted a recommendation in December 2022 on a Union-wide coordinated approach to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure, which invited the European Commission to table a draft for a blueprint to coordinate an EU-level response to disruptions of critical infrastructure with significant cross-border relevance.
It was in that context that the European Commission presented the proposal for the recommendation which the Council adopted today.
How the EU responds to crises and builds resilience (background information)
EU Parliament: European critical infrastructure Revision of Directive 2008/114/EC