The talk introduces the main findings of the contracted study “Protection of Offshore Critical Energy Infrastructure beyond National Sovereignty”, undertaken during April-October 2023. It offers the participants un updated scan of the current threat landscape around the offshore critical energy infrastructure (OCEI) in Europe, with a focus on the physical, cyber and hybrid threats, risks and vulnerabilities that may target the offshore oil and gas installations, the undersea cables and the offshore windfarms in the EU. The talk identifies specific sets of threats, risks and vulnerabilities in four maritime zones: the North-Sea Atlantic region, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It also explores the highly complex legal regime that governs the OCEI and exposes the possible limits of engagement for the military for the protection of the offshore infrastructure. The final part is dedicated to identifying best practices to be developed and replicated, as well as to providing recommendations for cooperation upscaling and policy upgrading in the field of OCEI protection and resilience. It concludes by exploring the specific actions and areas where the MoDs can make a positive and significant contribution for enhancing the protection of OCEI in the EU, during challenging geopolitical times.

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