I527-290 ESRIF Final Report (WEB).indd - European Commission

2. Working Group: Security of Critical
Infrastructures
2.1 Introduction
With the creation of ESRIF in September 2007, WG2 «Security
of Critical Infrastructures» was established as the single largest
Working Group in terms of constituency (>120 nominal members)
and scope (11 topics). This called for streamlined handling, clear
lines of responsibility and tight leadership despite mostly remotecoordinated
work.
From the outset, the Working Group adopted the European
Commission’s definition of Critical Infrastructures (CI) as outlined
by the EPCIP (European Programme for Critical Infrastructure
Protection). This served to provide a common basis for the
topic experts, who came from numerous countries where such
definitions varied:
EC defi nition of Critical Infrastructures:
1. Those assets, systems or parts thereof which are critical for the maintenance of critical societal functions,
including the supply chain, health, safety, security, economic or social well-being of people, and the disruption or
destruction of which would have a signifi cant impact in a Member State as a result of the failure to maintain those
functions. Or
2. any other (hazardous) assets, systems or parts thereof the disruption or destruction of which would, as a direct
consequence, have a signifi cant impact on the maintenance of critical societal functions.
On December 8 th 2008, with the European Council Directive 2008/114/EC, this defi nition was changed:
An asset, system or part thereof located in Member States which is essential for the maintenance of vital societal functions,
health, safety, security, economic or social well-being of people, and the disruption or destruction of which would have a
signifi cant impact in a Member State as a result of the failure to maintain those functions.
The aim of streamlined handling was then achieved by aggregating several topics into three dedicated subgroups
(Transportation, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Distributed Networks) and covering the
remaining topics using panel meetings. The latter approach was also taken for cooperative topics with other WGs, such
as Security of Space Infrastructures (with WG7 «Situational Awareness and the Role of Space») and Protection from EMP
(with WG 6 «CBRN»).
Thus structured, WG2 analysed in excess of 60 policy and strategy papers referring to Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP),
cross-referenced with numerous national and European-level initiatives and networked with all other WGs either directly/
bilaterally or via Integration Team and Transverse Committee meetings. Some experts were called in where needed, e.g. to
participate in panels that did not already enjoy intensive coverage from participating experts, so that by February 2009, all
the topics covered by WG2 (and others) were covered and systematised by use of a matrix. This was achieved through strong
interaction between the WGs, particularly with «adjacent» mission groups («Security of the Citizens» and «Crisis Management»)
and relevant technology and context WGs.
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