EC details critical infrastructure measures

EC details critical infrastructure measures The European Commission Tuesday put forward a package of measures designed to bolster the security of 'critical infrastructure' in Europe.
   The new package continues on from the EC's November 2005 Green Paper on a European Program for Critical Infrastructure Protection (EPCIP), which itself was the second phase of a consultation process regarding the establishment of EPCIP started in October 2004.
   A primary element is a proposed Council Directive, which lists 11 sectors of critical infrastructure, including transport infrastructure.
   Under the directive, owners and operators of European Critical Infrastructure (ECI) would have to establish an Operator Security Plan (OSP), which would identify their assets and establish relevant security solutions for their protection. The EC said that sectors with existing security measure, such as the EU Port Security Directive, 'would most likely already satisfy the obligations imposed through a sector specific OSP.'
   'The security and economy of the European Union as well as the wellbeing of our citizens depend on certain infrastructure and the services they provide,' said Commission 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,' Frattini said.
   More details of the EC’s plans are available at: https://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/477&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en .