EU and NATO launch task force to protect critical infrastructure

European Union and NATO top officials announced on Wednesday the creation of a joint task force charged with better protecting the bloc's critical infrastructure.

"We have seen the sabotage of Nord Stream. That has shown that we need to be ready and that we need to confront this new type of threat," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.

In September, a total of four leaks were discovered on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines following explosions in the Danish Baltic Sea, with Swedish authorities determining the cause to be sabotage.

"Our experts from NATO and the European Union will work hand in hand to identify key threats to our critical infrastructure, to look at the strategic vulnerabilities," she added.

The unit will cover critical infrastructure in the areas of transport, energy, digital and space, von der Leyen said.

"Resilience and the protection of critical infrastructure are a key part of our joint efforts, as we have seen, both with [Russian] President Putin's weaponizing of energy and ... the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

The task force "will be an important step in making our societies stronger and safer," he added.

The announcement comes a day after the signing of a declaration on NATO-EU cooperation that is aimed at increasing cooperation between the institutions.