The energy security component is very important because without investment in this, it is like building a house without putting doors so that anyone could enter, said Daniel Buda, a member of the European Parliament, on Thursday.
“I would start with a parallel. How important are investments in this energy security, and not only? Without them it is as if each of us would build a house, but we would not put doors on it. Anyone could enter there. That is why this security component is very important”, said Daniel Buda.
He emphasized that there will no longer be financing from European funds without investments in the security component, which are indispensable, because otherwise the sustainability of the project is not ensured.
On the other hand, the MEP pointed out that a great vulnerability is related to the number of cyber security specialists. According to him, in 2024, according to European Commission data, there were only 299,000 cybersecurity specialists at the level of the European Union, while the need is much greater, and their number is decreasing due to the implementation of the NIS directive, because many are leaving for the private sector.
“So, the big challenge for us is how to increase the number of specialists that we can use in this field. Because, unfortunately, from the examples we have with ANCPI, and there were also problems in France and Italy, as well (…) it is clear that we need investments in this area and trained people”, Buda pointed out.
He conveyed that the European Parliament makes available to the member states serious European financial resources, which can be used for the development of the energy component.
“If we rely on the national budget, on all the components, ask every mayor, every authority if they could live without European funds. No. Maxim could pay his electricity or part of his salaries. That”s why we, in the European Parliament, come and make available to the member states serious European financial resources, which can be used in what it means to develop the energy component”, said the MEP.
According to him, at the EU level there is another vulnerability that cannot be ignored, namely the dependence on extra-EU imports of energy infrastructure components.
“That”s why we also have to solve this issue with European funds, because, I repeat, there will be money, in the Competitiveness Fund, in interconnection and so on, it”s just up to us how we will make this process of absorption at a sufficiently simple and adequate level to be able to become a reality in the field”, pointed out Buda.
High-level representatives of the central and regulatory authorities, leaders of companies in the energy sector, IT/OT and cybersecurity specialists, as well as representatives of the academic environment are meeting, Thursday and Friday, in Cluj Napoca, at the fourth edition of the Energy Cybersecurity Forum, an event organized by Distribuție Energie Electrică Romania.