Next week, EU ministers will meet to discuss what role NATO can play in protecting the EUʼs energy infrastructure from a possible attack following Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine.
This was reported by the Bloomberg agency, which got acquainted with the document outlining these plans.
Belgium, which chairs the bloc, wants to ask member states what contribution the alliance can make to the fight against a wide range of threats, including sabotage, cyber attacks and hybrid warfare tactics. Ministers will also discuss how to finance cross-border infrastructure.
The war against Ukraine showed that energy was, is, and will probably remain a field that will be deliberately and actively used as a weapon.
The publication points out that monitoring the energy infrastructure in the 27 member states and their seas is a difficult task, especially as the EU moves towards a more digital energy network and allocates decentralized renewable energy sources.
Earlier, six European states around the North Sea agreed on cooperation to protect critical infrastructure located in its water area from potential attacks. The joint declaration was signed by Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Norway.