Critical infrastructure is considered the basis o f the functioning o f the state and society, and is one o f the key factors o f security and economic development, as well as the health and social well-being o f citizens. Its protection is gaining particular importance in the era o f globalization and with increasing exposure to various risks - from natural disasters to terrorist and cyber attacks. The Republic o f Serbia, in accordance with modern security trends and the process o f rapprochement with the European Union, has taken a number o f specific normative and institutional steps to regulate and improve the critical infrastructure protection system. One of these steps is the adoption o f the first systemic law regulating this area in 2018 - the Law on Critical Infrastructure. The aim o f this paper is to present the current model of critical infrastructure protection through an analysis o f the strategic and legal framework o f the Republic of Serbia. Special emphasis is placed on the analysis o f the Law on Critical Infrastructure, its implementation in the seven-year period since its adoption, as well as the identification o f advantages, shortcomings and challenges in its implementation. The paper points to the importance o f cooperation between the public and private sectors, as well as the need to strengthen institutional capacities, coordination and resilience of the critical infrastructure system. Based on the analysis conducted, the authors propose possible directions for further development and improvement of both the regulatory and practical framework for the protection of critical infrastructure in the Republic of Serbia.
Radivojević et al. (Wed,) studied this question.