CIWIN – a pilot for terrorism prevention and protection

CIWIN stands for Critical Infrastructure Warning Information Network. It is a secure information technology and information-sharing system that will be tested in its pilot phase for six months, starting today. During this time, EU Member States, EEA countries and the European Commission will be able to use the system as a platform for the exchange of good practices and other critical infrastructure protection related information.

"In our modern times, infrastructure is absolutely vital in order for our societies to function. I think the experience from this last week shows quite clearly how vulnerable we are. A volcano ash cloud has stopped flights in Europe for a week, causing problems for citizens as well as businesses. It proves that we need to be better prepared in other areas as well, so that we don't suffer too much damage in case of other threats in the future", said Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström."We need to get better at sharing information between Member States so that we can learn from best practices around Europe. Therefore, I welcome the launch of CIWIN. It represents one of the cornerstones in our fight against terrorism. During this test period, I hope that Member States will test the system properly and give us their valuable input so that we can further improve the system in its final version."