WIENER STADTWERKE EVENT
On 2 March, Member of the European Parliament Javier Zarzalejos participated, in his capacity as Chair of the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee, in an event organized by the Vienna municipal company Wiener Stadtwerke focused on the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure in Europe, with particular attention to the energy and mobility sectors.
The discussion also featured contributions from Beate Gminder, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, as well as Wiener Stadtwerke’s Director-General, Peter Weinelt. The event addressed the new challenges Europe faces in light of the growing number of hybrid threats affecting strategic infrastructures such as energy networks, transport systems, and digital environments.
During his intervention, Zarzalejos emphasized that the protection of these infrastructures has become a structural political priority for the European Union, as their security underpins social stability, economic competitiveness, and European sovereignty. He warned that hybrid threats are now a permanent feature of Europe’s strategic environment and advocated for strengthening both preparedness and response capacity among Member States.
He also highlighted recent initiatives promoted by the European Commission to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure, including the new internal security strategy and the Directive on the resilience of critical entities. Zarzalejos stressed the need for these measures to translate into real operational capabilities and for closer cooperation between public authorities and private operators to ensure the security, cohesion, and prosperity of European citizens.
In this context, the MEP insisted that the protection of critical infrastructure must remain central to the European security agenda. In his view, strengthening cooperation among institutions, Member States, and private operators will be essential to anticipate risks, improve response capacity, and guarantee the security, cohesion, and prosperity of European citizens.