📋 Tender Overview
Because disruptions to critical infrastructure may have repercussions in many EU member states, the Council 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.
