Comparison of the Protection of Critical Healthcare Infrastructures in Germany and Hungary

Abstract

In 2008, the European Union regulated the basics of the protection of critical infrastructures in a directive. The Member States therefore had to ensure that – in addition to the freedom of the method and means of implementation – the provisions of the directive were transposed into their national legal order. Accordingly, some Member States may define different detailed rules. The detailed rules related to the protection of critical infrastructures (e.g. the designation thresholds) are not public in several Member States, but in Germany and Hungary they have been recorded at the legislative level. In my study, I compare the rules related to the protection of critical healthcare infrastructures, including inpatient care institutions, primarily based on legal sources and the experiences of my study tour in Germany, from the selection criteria system to crisis planning. The good practices resulting from the differences and similarities to be discovered can help to revise and standardise the rules and practices related to the protection of critical health infrastructures.