Given the tense geopolitical situation, MEPs asks the European Commission to specify its plans to protect EU infrastructure more robustly. Extracts from the Question Time session with Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

fight against cyber attacks (T)

VANDENKENDELAERE, Tom (EPP, BE)

SCHINAS, Margaritis (EPP-DE, EL, EC)

GREGOROVÁ, Markéta (Greens/EFA, CZ)

GROOTHUIS, Bart (Renew, NL)

EP question time (T)

GLUCKSMAN, André (FR)

Protecting critical infrastructure in the EU against attacks and countering hybrid attacks: extracts from the Question Time to Commission

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/65979842/1666107241161_I231798Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Title: Protecting critical infrastructure in the EU against attacks and countering hybrid attacks: extracts from the Question Time to Commission

SOUNDBITE (English), Bart GROOTHUIS (Renew, NL), The favourite weapon of President Putin will be gas and it will be alternative gas passed and LNG terminals are being recognised and reconnaissance by cyber actors from Russia. This point in time, and I would really like an effort from the European Commission to protect our LNG structures in Netherlands, in Germany and Spain as well.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, The era of Europe's naivety and innocence on security matters is over, and I'm very happy that this awakening of the European Union to security is something that happened before the war. So to cut a long story short, yes, we are much better prepared than ever before to the European Union. No, we are not yet where we want to be, at the same of countering every possible threat, especially against the state actors.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, I would agree with you that given the emphasis on LNG as an alternative source of energy from Russian gas, yes, we need to do more. The problem there is that we still have to see these new LNG terminals emerging in some of our member states. There is expertise around these facilities in others. Since we are constructing these terminals now, we have a golden opportunity to make them security proof from the start.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Tom VANDENKENDELAERE (EPP, BE), My question to you, Vice President, is how you envisage cooperation with NATO's evolving? How do you think that together we can tackle these shared challenges? How do you see the EU and NATO's dovetailing their policies so that they can be more effective together? Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, You will see that we have specifically specifically introduced this dimension, the external dimension on protecting critical infrastructure, working with third countries and neighbours. And the most importantly I think, is the commitment that we have obtained to set up a joint EU, NATO's task force on protecting critical infrastructure.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, I think this is a very important, significant novelty. NATO's is very well placed to help us in that regard. And we also cover the cyber elements, not only the physical infrastructure. I was in the Western Balkans last week.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, I met all leaders along the Balkan, the Western Balkan Road. One of the things that came out very strongly is that they have to be an integral part of our security arrangements, for the Western Balkans and our neighbourhood countries the threat landscape is equally important and threatening as it is against us. So we have to create this broader range of friends that would have an increasingly similar level of protection against any type of threat towards our critical infrastructure.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Raphaël GLUCKSMANN (S&D, FR), What's inside the Defence of Democracy package that President of Commission came in and announced in front of the Parliament? We were all very happy about it, but what will you put in it that would make sure that infrastructure, that they're critical for democracies - for instance, the Belgian parliament could not actually have a debate on Uigurs will not be attacked anymore? What kind of sanctions? What kind of protections?

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, I think we should prepare for a meaningful set of rules under the Protection and Defence of Democracy Initiative that the President announced, which would cover the issue of foreign intervention, propaganda and fake news, which is tarnishing our democracies.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Raphaël GLUCKSMANN (S&D, FR), But how do you react when you learn that the German head of cybersecurity is actually working with Russian interests? I mean, when do we when we we have to the clean up of our institutions that are supposed to protect and guarantee our security.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, In my view of security, what matters is to have in place robust systemic regulatory rules, systems that allow us to defend ourselves regardless of the individuals involved. And I think this is a golden rule for security.

SOUNDBITE (English), Markéta GREGOROVÁ (Greens/EFA, CZ), I don't hear often that we are dealing with espionage and how are we dealing with it? Not only, of course, from Russia, from China, too. And I would like to hear from your perspective and from the commission what is being done in this regards. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, vice-president of the European Commission, I don't think it would be wise that we create an additional layer on intelligence agency at the European level. What? I think it's much more valuable and it's happening is to be able to harvest from the richness of the intelligence information that our national agencies develop so that we can all pool resources and face common challenges.