Critical connections, continuity and supply: assessing the security of European critical infrastructure and functions in a hybrid threat context

On 6 November 2019, the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU co-organised a conference in Brussels focusing on the security of European critical infrastructure and supply chains in a hybrid threat context. Hosted by the Finnish Permanent Representation to the EU, the event allowed participants to exchange views on strategic issues, assess the state of play and discuss the future ways in which the EU institutions and member states could reinforce European critical infrastructure management. The conference brought together officials from EU Member States, EU institutions, NATO, representatives of the private sector and think tankers.

Among the issues discussed was the evolving risk landscape and the importance for resilience, the need for early identification of vulnerabilities, the strategic prioritisation of infrastructure protection and the different logics of economic interdependence and sovereignty. Furthermore, participants also discussed the ubiquitous interlinkages between physical and digital infrastructure; the need for multi-stakeholder cooperation between the EU institutions, member states, and the private sector; and concrete ways in which stakeholders can enhance critical infrastructure management, supply resilience and continuity of essential services to the Union's population.