1. What is the MECAT System?
MECAT is an integrated IT system developed by the National Center for Coordination of the Protection of Critical Infrastructures, developed through the implementation of the European project "Improving the exchange of information, preparation and assurance of integrated management for the resilience of critical infrastructures/entities (MeCAT)", project code IS10A_02, with non-refundable funding provided by the National Program 2021-2027 Internal Security.
Through the project "Ensuring communication and unitary training specific to the protection of critical infrastructure" - ROFSIP2016OS6A16P01, co-financed from the Internal Security Fund - Financial support instrument for police cooperation, crime prevention and crisis management, implemented by MAI - CNCPIC as the sole Beneficiary, SII Apolodor was developed in the first stage, and later SII INSERT, following the identification of additional needs.
MECAT is meant to integrate, adapt, modernize the systems described above in the form of a single solution, more accessible and aligned with current technological developments, develop new facilities, as well as provide technical assistance.
2. What is the objective of the MECAT System?
Ensuring the training of the target group for the management of risks, crises and incidents to the security of national critical infrastructures and critical entities, testing the viability of security plans, as well as facilitating the exchange of information relevant to the field of protection of critical infrastructures and the field of resilience of critical entities.
3. What is the target group of the MECAT system?
The staff within the specialized departments designated at the level of the responsible public authorities designated according to GD no. 35/2019 (ministries, agencies, national authorities, services, etc.) and at the level of ICN owners/operators/administrators designated according to GD no. 1198/2012.
4. What conditions must be met to have access to the MECAT System?
Access to the system is granted by one of the system administrators after filling in the fields of the registration form in the "REGISTER" section. For a better understanding of the aspects related to access to the system, the "Privacy Policy" and "Terms and Conditions" sections should be consulted.
5. Compliance with the national strategy for the protection of national / European critical infrastructures:
The objectives achieved by SII MECAT fall within the measure of intervention from the National Program established in the Specific Call Guide, respectively OS1 - Operational Support, considering the fact that they aim at "improving the level of protection of national/European critical infrastructures through the training and training of personnel with attributions in the field of information exchange between these infrastructures and the responsible public authorities", respectively Strategic Objective no. 2 - Configuration and operationalization of the national early warning system by integrating all networks and informational-organizational capabilities provided for in H. G. No. 718/2011 for the approval of the National Strategy regarding the protection of critical infrastructures; as well as art. 63 of the O. U. G. No. 98/2010 which provides that "(1) At the M. A. I. Level, through CNCPIC, a communication and early warning mechanism, hereinafter referred to as MeCAT, is established and administered, intended to ensure the integrated management of ICN/ICE protection with the role of a secure national information system in the field of ICN/ICE protection. (2) MeCAT ensures the unitary framework for the exchange of information regarding incidents, threats, vulnerabilities and risks identified in relation to these types of infrastructures, necessary both in the process of preventing and combating risks and threats, as well as for reducing the impact generated by the inability to maintain the essential services provided by them."
6. European added value:
as part of the evaluation of Directive 2008/114/EC carried out in 2019, it was found that, given the fact that operations using critical infrastructure are increasingly interconnected and increasingly cross-border, protective measures that refer only to individual elements are insufficient to prevent all disruptions from occurring. It is therefore necessary to refocus the approach towards ensuring that risks are better taken into account, that the role and tasks of critical entities as providers of essential services for the functioning of the internal market are better defined and coherent, and that Union rules are adopted to strengthen the resilience of critical entities. Critical entities should be able to strengthen their capacity to prevent incidents that may disrupt the provision of essential services, provide protection and withstand, respond to, mitigate and absorb, adapt to and recover from incidents.
following the approval of Directive (EU) 2022/2557, the general framework was established at European level that member states must implement in order to identify critical entities, strengthen their resilience, as well as improve cross-border cooperation between the competent authorities in order to ensure the provision of essential services on the internal market of the European Union.
Considering the obligation of the member states to fulfill the objectives proposed following the transposition of the Community normative act, the project in question creates the premises for facilitating and streamlining the identification of critical entities and providing the necessary tools in order to increase their degree of resilience. The project in question does not have a multinational dimension, its results cannot be used in other states than at the national level.