Brussels, 03/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the EP committees on civil liberties and transport voiced different views on the directive on critical infrastructure protection in fields such as energy, health, communications and transport. In December, the European Commission had presented a proposal for a directive mainly aimed at establishing a confidential list of critical European infrastructures, to be used, for example, in the case of terrorist attack (EUROPE 9326). During the vote on 26 June, the civil liberties committee gave its support for this proposal. The consultative report drafted by Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (ALDE, NL) acknowledged it was essential to form a list of what might be considered “critical European infrastructure” and to identify protection needs. The report stresses the fact that it is first and foremost up to member states, owners and operators to assume responsibility for protecting critical infrastructure. MEPs took the view that a Community approach would only be warranted in cases where at least three member states - or at least two member states plus that in which the critical infrastructure is located - are affected. The European Commission nonetheless spoke of a significant cross-border effect involving at least two member states. Voting the same day, the transport committee rejected the same proposal for a directive at the initiative of the Green members. The report by Renate Sommer (EPP-ED, Germany) only rejects the idea of setting up a database giving the sensitive infrastructure proposed in the directive. The next day, during an exchange of views with Wolfgang Tiefensee, federal minister for transport, urbanism and construction, Ms Sommer said that such a database would be an “unwise” solution in addition to being an easy target for terrorist attacks. (bc/aby).