“Abstract threat”: Traffic light passes legislative package – Faeser takes situation “very seriously”

Created: 07/12/2022 15:16

By: Franziska Schwarz

Nancy Faeser (SPD) gives a speech (archive image).

© Arne Dedert/dpa/archive image

At least since the Ukraine war it has been clear: the lifelines of the community are vulnerable.

The federal cabinet has now passed a whole package of laws.

Berlin - Many people are now familiar with the term "critical infrastructure".

In 2022 there were explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines, acts of sabotage on Deutsche Bahn and – apparently also in Germany – Russian cyber attacks.

The traffic light coalition now wants to take countermeasures with a “Kritis umbrella law”.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's federal cabinet passed a comprehensive package of laws on Wednesday (December 7).

"Overall, we have to better arm ourselves against crises," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD).

"We will define the areas that require special protection, identify risks and threats better and set mandatory protection standards." Missing and inconsistent regulations for the protection of critical infrastructures (Kritis) should be a thing of the past with the targeted Kritis umbrella law.

At least that's the plan.

At the request of

from

, the Ministry of the Interior previously assumed an "abstract threat", so saw no "immediate need for action" - the most recent incidents, however, had "raised the alert again".

"We take the current threats very seriously," assured Faeser.

Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, there has also been a “changed security situation” in Germany.

What falls under "critical" infrastructure?

Critical infrastructure (Kritis) includes facilities from the energy, transport, water, food, state and administration, health, information technology and telecommunications sectors - such as power plants and railway systems.

The "Kritis umbrella law" is now primarily intended to stipulate how operators of important systems can protect themselves better and when they have to report an incident.

In addition, the systems - for example from sectors such as energy, water, transport, food and telecommunications - must be regularly checked for possible risks.

The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) is to play a central role in this.

The Ministry of the Interior wants to expand this facility into the central supervisory authority.

Critical infrastructure: EU expands protection guidelines due to sabotage

At EU level, the concrete minimum rules for food supply or information security are to be drawn up more strictly in the future.

The Austrian MEP Lukas Mandl (ÖVP), who is involved in the regulations, warned in an interview with

: "The best EU directive is only the second best protection".

According to Mandl, awareness of the threat is more important - not only since the Ukraine war.

"A special EU committee has determined that 60 percent of the hybrid attacks came from Putin's Russia before the conventional war began," Mandel said.

Threats to Critical Infrastructure: Key Points from the Faeser Ministry

The proposal from the Ministry of the Interior by Nancy Faeser (SPD) envisages a central role for the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) in the future, the dpa reported, citing a key issues paper available to it.

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Herrmann: Critical infrastructure in Germany is well protected

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) also called for clear framework conditions, but also said: "Overall, we can speak of a high level of protection."

This also applies to classic sabotage or natural hazards.

As examples, the CSU politician named the supply of fuel to fire brigades, civil protection or the police - even if the gas stations are full, without electricity the pumps cannot bring it into the vehicles.

"80 percent of the critical facilities are in municipal or private hands," emphasized.

The state is therefore only responsible to a limited extent, since so far mostly private companies have been responsible for operation and protection.

In addition, there is a multi-level protection structure with individual concepts from the federal and state governments.