The German Federal Cabinet has approved a draft law, the Critical Infrastructure Act, designed to bolster the resilience and defense capabilities of vital systems nationwide. The Ministry of the Interior announced the decision on Wednesday, outlining the legislation’s key provisions.
The Act establishes overarching minimum requirements, mandatory risk assessments and ongoing disruption monitoring for critical infrastructure across Germany. This marks the first instance of nationwide and cross-sectoral regulation governing the physical protection of these systems.
The legislation identifies key sectors considered critical infrastructure, encompassing eleven areas including energy, food, water, healthcare, transportation and communication. It also serves to implement an EU directive.
“With the Critical Infrastructure Act, we are making Germany more resilient against crises and attacks” stated Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The new framework introduces unified minimum standards, requires detailed risk analyses and implements ongoing disturbance monitoring. The stated objective is to significantly strengthen the defense and resilience of Germany’s critical infrastructure.