Standardization and Research Instruments in Support of the Regulatory Framework for the Enhancement of the Critical Infrastructure Resilience: European Case Studies

The provision of essential services, including but not limited to, water and energy supply, telecommunications, transportation and financial systems, is of paramount importance to health, economy, safety and security of modern societies. Critical infrastructures, by default, have a pivotal role in this regard by ensuring the uninterrupted, reliable, and high-quality delivery of essential services. This ensures economic development, inclusion and the well-being of society. Within this framework, the European Commission launched the new EU CER Directive, updating the previous one, on the resilience of European critical entities which mandates a series of actions to Member States to secure the provision of essential services. The EU promotes research and development in the field of security, e.g., critical infrastructure protection and disaster-resilient societies, from innovative technologies to the development of new standardization items, updated processes and pre-commercial and public procurement, thus ensuring interoperability and wide acceptance of the research-driven products. This paper discusses the role of standardization and innovation in supporting EU legislation and strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructures through innovative European past and ongoing research initiatives in the field of security. A brief review of current global standardization ecosystem in the security domain is also discussed.