It consists of Preliminary, Preventive and Special Alert phases

Home Affairs activates the Special Security Plan for the six months of the Spanish Presidency of the EU

2023.3.23

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The Ministry of Home Affairs has activated the special security arrangements designed to guarantee the holding of the international meetings and activities that will take place throughout the country during Spain's rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2023, from 1 July to 31 December.

The guidelines for the Special Security Plan for the Spanish Presidency of the EU are set out in Instruction 2/2023, issued by the Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez, and establish the mechanisms for coordinating the actions of the National Police and the Guardia Civil and their collaboration with other regional and local police forces, the armed forces and other institutions, to guarantee the safe and peaceful deployment of the activities to be carried out during the next six months.

The instruction activates the Preliminary Phase of the Special Security Phase, in force until 15 April, during which the heads of the department's Directorate General for Coordination and Studies, the National Police, the Guardia Civil and representatives of the other bodies involved will establish the appropriate procedures to guarantee the planning operations of the security arrangements.

From 16 April to 19 June, the Preventive Phase will take place, during which the necessary preventive operational measures will be adopted to guarantee the normal development of the preliminary and organisational events of the Spanish Presidency of the EU.

Special Alert Phase

The Special Alert Phase will begin on 20 June and will be maintained throughout the Spanish Presidency of the EU, so that operational security and protection and response capabilities are available at their highest level of activation to immediately provide the general and special security and protection necessary for the start and development of all events in Spain relating to this European semester.

Throughout the implementation of this plan, the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Centre (CNPIC) will remain in contact with the operators of critical and essential services to reinforce security, prevention and alertness in these infrastructures and services.

For its part, the Cybersecurity Coordination Office (OCC), in coordination with the Emergency Response Centres (CERT) and the cybersecurity services of the state law enforcement forces and agencies, will deploy a special cybersecurity operation for the Spanish Presidency of the EU and for each of the planned events.

Specific plans

Under the direction of the Secretary of State for Security, this Special Security Plan will integrate the specific security plans corresponding to each of the events planned for the six-month period.

The delegates and sub-delegates of the government will coordinate the security arrangements of the state law enforcement forces and agencies and the mechanisms for coordination and action with the armed forces, other police forces and other security organisations and operators that will take part in each specific plan in their respective areas of competence.

They will also establish the appropriate coordination mechanisms with the authorities of the autonomous communities and town councils where the meetings are to be held.

Non official translation