EU and NATO Launch Infrastructure Protection Task Force

Following the Joint Declaration Announcement the Day Before
"Witnessed Nord Stream Explosion... Must Cooperate on Security to Counter"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Hyun-ji] The European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will launch a task force (TF) on the 11th (local time) to protect critical infrastructure in Europe. This is an extension of the joint declaration announced the day before, which focused on security cooperation.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, officially announced the launch of the TF during her opening remarks at the EU Commissioners' seminar on defense and security held in Brussels, Belgium, on the same day. She stated, “Security of critical infrastructure is one of the important areas of cooperation that the EU and NATO must newly focus on.” She explained the background of the launch by saying, “We witnessed sabotage on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines, which showed that we must face a new type of threat.” She emphasized the need for security cooperation to prevent similar incidents from recurring amid the prolonged Ukraine war.

Last September, the West classified the four gas leaks that occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines as explosions caused by sabotage. Nord Stream is an underwater gas pipeline connecting Germany and Russia.

The TF plans to begin work on early identification of risks and improvement of vulnerabilities in four major infrastructure sectors: transportation, energy, digital, and space.

The launch of this TF follows the joint declaration announced the day before, which included strengthening security cooperation between the EU and NATO. The attendance of the NATO Secretary General at the EU Commissioners' security seminar is also in line with this context.

President von der Leyen emphasized, “Our adversaries and competitors are using all possible means to challenge us and weaken our security. Therefore, it is important for the EU and NATO to cooperate and strengthen our overall resilience.”