Brussels, 28 November 2024 – In response to the European Commission’s public consultation evaluating the EU’s energy security architecture, EIES calls for the upgrade and expansion of electricity infrastructure and embrace of strategic clean energy pathways to limit vulnerability to geopolitical risk.

In the wake of recent cases of suspected sabotage of critical infrastructure, EIES calls on the Commission to incorporate an aligned understanding of risks, threats, and mitigation measures to address the complexity and scale of cyber, hybrid and physical attacks and incidents increasingly affecting critical energy infrastructure.

EU level guidance for risk assessments and mitigation in the energy sector and a coordinated platform for bi-directional, public-private information sharing on emerging risk to supply chain and infrastructure could facilitate the creation of a unified framework for crisis preparedness, response and recovery. Improved alignment would enable energy sector actors to improve situational awareness, better anticipate risks, identify critical vulnerabilities, and coordinate responses and scope of responsibility more quickly and effectively.

Energy infrastructure projects should be built and upgraded under a “security by design” framework in which resilience requirements are incorporated at the outset from system to component level. This could be done through the introduction of explicit mandatory security and resilience criteria in public procurement and European funding instruments to improve the resilience of Europe’s expanding and interconnected energy infrastructure.

Supply chain bottlenecks – e.g. for high voltage transformers – highlight the challenges of reliance on certain external suppliers. This also emphasises the need for Europe to enhance its domestic manufacturing capacity for clean energy components to build, repair and replace critical energy assets – particularly system-critical and connected components.

In addition to mitigating cyber risk on critical infrastructure through risk mitigation policies and de-risking financial instruments, “physical energy infrastructure security must be prioritised, priced in and made an integral part of Europe’s energy security strategy” said Alberic Mongrenier, EIES’ Executive Director. “Protecting critical infrastructure is vital not only to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential services but also to safeguard against cascading failures that could destabilise the economy and everyday life and weaken collective resilience in the face of crises.”

On November 22nd, as part of its ongoing policy research, EIES brought together NATO, European Commission and industry representatives, spanning infrastructure developers and operators, technology and cybersecurity providers and insurance, for a Chatham House discussion on policy and industry solutions to address growing cyber and physical threats to energy infrastructure and supply chains.

EIES’ full consultation response will be released publicly in the coming weeks, and a policy takeaways paper will be released on December 16th.

About EIES

The European Initiative for Energy Security (EIES) advocates for secure pan-European and national energy policies, dedicated to fostering collaboration between government and industry leaders. EIES seeks to address critical energy challenges and champion comprehensive solutions for the benefit of Europe's energy security, transition, and industrial competitiveness. EIES works with the Energy Security Leadership Council-Europe (ESLC-Europe), composed of retired and active military, political and business figures, to achieve these goals.

Contact: Isabelle Dupraz, EIES Deputy Director – idupraz@secureenergy.org