UIC represented by Mr José Pires (Senior Advisor of the UIC Security Division) attended the 2nd European Reference Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection-ERNCIP on 19 and 20 May 2014 in Ispra, Italy.
ERNCIP aims at providing a framework within which experimental facilities and laboratories will share knowledge and expertise in order to harmonise test protocols throughout Europe, leading to better protection of critical infrastructures against all types of threats and hazards. Its mission is to foster the emergence of innovative, qualified, efficient and competitive security solutions, through the networking of European experimental capabilities.
ERNCIP is according to the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC) a direct response to the lack of harmonised EU-wide testing or certification for CIP products and services, which is a barrier to future development and market acceptance of security solutions.
The ERNCIP Office has been mandated by the Directorate General Home Affairs (DG HOME) of the European Commission and in the context of the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection (EPCIP), and with the agreement of Member States, set up the ERNCIP project in 2009. The preparatory phase was successfully completed in November 2010 and the project started its implementation phase in 2011.
The ERNCIP Office operates within the organisa¬tional framework of the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC) of the Europe¬an Commission’s Joint Research Centre.
The 2nd ERNCIP Operators Workshop was about “Technological Security Solutions - Assessment, Selection and Development”. Using a three-session structure during the two days’ work, the experts representing many sectors of the CI operators answered specific questions. The represented sectors were Water, Transportation, ICT/Communications and Energy. And the challenging questions were:
Sector group work: Session 1
Driving question 1: What are the challenges today for operators regarding assessment, selection and deployment of technological security solutions?
Sector group work: Session 2
Driving question 2: What tools are available for operators and how can these be best utilised in order to address the above challenges regarding the assessment, selection and deployment of technological security solutions?
Sector group work: Session 3
Driving question 3: How can the ERNCIP network help to address these challenges at EU level?
The overall conclusions are that the needs of the main challenges and actions are:
- to perform an efficient and effective cross sector assessment with regard to CIP;
- exchange information using a common structure and methodology between CI operators that can be understood within the same based on reason;
- the need for a CI comprehensive protection approach;
- the need to understand the interdependencies between safety and security systems (the SAFEURITY concept; ©UIC-JP2014).
- for CI operators to help improve and better support the ERNCIP thematic areas
The ERNCIP work programme addresses several thematic areas (TA), as identified by the sponsors. The work is undertaken by specific thematic work-ing groups, each led by a TA coordinator. The current ERNCIP TA are:
- Aviation Security Detection Equipment - JRC, Geel
- Explosives Detection Equipment(non-Aviation) - CEA (FR)
- Industry Control Systems and Smart grids - CPNI (NL)
- Structural Resistance against Seismic Risks - JRC, Ispra
- Resistance of Structures against Explosion effects – Fraunhofer EMI (DE)
- Chemical & Biological Risks in the Water Sector - Austrian Environmental Agency
- Video Analytics and Surveillance - CAST (UK)
- Applied Biometrics for CIP - CAST (UK)
- Radiological Threats to Critical Infrastructure - STUK (Finland)
The main OBJECTIVES for each TA:
- Harmonisation of test protocols;
- Harmonisation of measurements and metrology;
- Recommendations for certification and labelling;
- Recommendations for research and investment.
UIC recognises the need to improve the overall protection of critical infrastructures in the EU and is pleased to note the efforts undertaken so far by the JRC and all the actors involved in the different thematic areas etc.
Also UIC has closely followed the progress made until now (1st ERNCIP operators workshop, September 2013), as the ERCIP project has already reached its third operational year. We have also been supportive to the ERNCIP Strategic goals as well as the long-term planning which goes beyond 2014 and are currently reflecting on how the CIP operators would envisage a continuation of ERNCIP and its activities in the coming years.
The final results of the workshop will follow and for more information on the JRC and ERNCIP please access to the webpage http://ipsc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/?id=688
