Euralarm publishes guidance on protecting Europe’s critical installations

Euralarm releases new precautionary guidance

Euralarm has released a new guidance document on precautionary measures for protecting vital installations and facilities across Europe.

The organisation said the document is intended to provide practical direction to strengthen the physical protection and resilience of critical infrastructures.

It described the guidance as a reference for policymakers, infrastructure operators and security professionals involved in protecting vital facilities.

Euralarm said the document aims to illustrate the importance of physical security and safety, along with basic requirements, in the field of critical infrastructure.

Focus on interdependence and shared responsibility

Euralarm said European societies rely on interdependent systems including energy and water supply, healthcare, transport and communications.

It said incidents and evolving threat scenarios have shown how vulnerable vital installations can be to targeted attacks, natural disasters and technical failures.

The guidance states that continued functionality is essential for social stability, public safety and economic security.

Euralarm said the document frames critical infrastructure security as a shared responsibility involving public authorities, security agencies, private operators and specialist security service providers.

Alignment with EU resilience requirements

Euralarm said the guidance builds on the European Directive on the Resilience of Critical Entities (CER/RCE), which establishes minimum standards for protecting critical infrastructures.

It said the document promotes cross-sector physical security arrangements that complement cyber and IT security measures.

The guidance notes that national implementation timelines may vary.

Euralarm said the document calls for proactive protective measures to mitigate risks associated with changing threat scenarios.

Risk analysis and layered protective measures

Euralarm said the guidance places risk analysis and resilience planning at the centre of protection for critical infrastructures.

It said these processes help operators identify vulnerabilities early, prevent threats and improve the ability to withstand and recover from disruptive events.

The guidance sets out an integrative security strategy combining structural, technical and organisational measures.

Euralarm said physical security measures cited in the document include perimeter protection, access control, intrusion and fire detection and video surveillance.

It said the approach is intended to create a protective shield tailored to each infrastructure’s risk profile.

Integrating fire detection into critical infrastructure security

The guidance describes fire detection and fire alarm systems as part of a coordinated security concept for critical infrastructure resilience.

It sets expectations for system design based on documented risk analysis, including special fire detection technologies where point detectors are unsuitable.

Examples included aspirating smoke detection for transformer rooms and critical plant, linear smoke detection for large volumes and targeted monitoring of cabinets, junction boxes and power supply equipment.

The document also addresses system interaction, including interfaces between fire alarms, access control and emergency management systems to support evacuation, containment and coordinated response.

It highlights the need for resilient alarm transmission, redundant power supplies and assured connectivity to alarm receiving centres and emergency responders.

It also links fire detection and alarm systems to cybersecurity considerations where products rely on IP networks, remote access and software-based components.