Secretariat - Action against Terrorism Unit

The importance of energy security and energy infrastructure security cannot be overstated. It is among the most serious security, economic and environmental challenges today and is expected to continue to be such in the future.

Critical energy infrastructures (CEIs) provide the fuel that keeps the global economy moving and our societies working. The disruption or destruction of these infrastructures would have a serious impact on the health, safety, security and economic well-being of individuals and the world as a whole.

CEIs can represent an attractive target for terrorists who seek to inflict not only physical but also economic or environmental damage. Researchers indeed suggest that the threat of attacks by terrorists and other non-state actors against CEIs, especially in the field of cyber/ICT security, is growing.

Protecting CEIs from terrorists has therefore received increased attention from the international community, and it is an issue particularly salient for the OSCE, whose 57 participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation include some of the largest producers and consumers of energy, as well as many strategic transit countries.

In November 2007, OSCE participating States adopted a Ministerial Council Decision on Protecting Critical Energy Infrastructure from Terrorist Attack (MC.DEC/6/07), whereby they committed to co-operate among themselves and to consider all necessary measures at the national level in order to ensure adequate CEI protection from terrorist attack, as well as to further promote public-private partnerships (PPPs) with business communities.

In implementation of this decision, the OSCE Secretary General submitted a report in 2008 on opportunities for co-operation with relevant international organizations in the field of protection of critical energy infrastructure from terrorist attacks (SEC.GAL/202/08). The report suggested that the OSCE could contribute to international efforts by raising awareness of threats and policy options, supporting the exchange of information and good practices, and promoting comprehensive, multi-stakeholder co-operation, including the development of PPPs.

Subsequently, OSCE participating States adopted a decision at the Helsinki Ministerial Council on Further Promoting the OSCE's Action in Countering Terrorism (No.10/08), which tasked OSCE executive structures to organize expert-level seminars, workshops and simulations that would encourage public-private partnership initiatives in such areas as protecting non-nuclear critical energy infrastructure from terrorist attack.

Accordingly, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department/Action against Terrorism Unit (TNTD/ATU) held a Public-Private Expert Workshop on Protecting Non-Nuclear Critical Energy Infrastructure from Terrorist Attack on 11-12 February 2010 in Vienna, with the support of the United States and Liechtenstein. Some 200 participants from 50 countries, 12 international structures and 30 private-sector organizations gathered to exchange experiences and discuss options for co-operation.

As a follow-up to the workshop, the ATU is currently developing a “Good Practices Guide on Non-Nuclear Critical Energy Infrastructure Protection from Terrorist Attacks”, focusing on threats emanating from cyberspace. The objective of this project is to raise awareness of the terrorist threat to non-nuclear critical energy infrastructure, especially industrial control systems and cyber-related infrastructure. As a first step in the implementation of the project, a Stakeholder Consultative Group met in October 2012 to discuss the table of contents of the guide, which is planned for publication online by the end of April 2013.

For more information, please contact the ATU directly.