Brussels, 23/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - From 1 January 2009 onwards, EU Member States will have to list critical EU infrastructure located in their country. On 8 December 2008, EU foreign ministers adopted a directive drawing up a listing and classification process for critical EU infrastructure (CEI) and a common approach for assessing the need to improve protection of said infrastructure. Political agreement was reached on the directive in June 2008 (see EUROPE 9677).
Critical infrastructure is defined as infrastructure that is vital for the ensuring of critical aspects of society (healthcare, security and the economic and social well-being of inhabitants) and whose interruption or destruction would have a significant impact on at least two EU Member States. The directive will define a single procedure at EU level to list and designate CEI and assess its protection needs. To start with, the directive will cover energy and transport. The transport of electricity from nuclear power stations could be covered by the legislation but nuclear power is covered by separate legislation and will not be included in this directive. The new rules will be re-assessed three years after they come into force in order to assess their impact and whether they should be extended to other industries, like information technology and communications.
The Council also approved a report from the French Presidency on boosting EU disaster prevention and reaction capacities. The report follows on from a conclusions document adopted in June 2008 that stressed the need for a joined-up policy on disaster management - prevention, preparedness, reaction and rehabilitation - for both natural disasters and disasters caused by human beings in the EU or elsewhere. The report looks at progress in coordination between the Council, Commission and Member States and covers issues like mutual aid, the EU disaster management training system, early warning systems, cooperation and coordination with the United Nations, consular assistance, and the threats an dangers of nuclear, biological and chemical
attacks. (B.C. trans fl)