The government plan for national vigilance in the face of the threat of acts of terrorism ("VIGILNAT plan") has been approved by the Council of Governement on 27 March 2015.
Following the attacks in Paris on 7 January 2015, the High Commission for National Protection has been entrusted by the Government Council with coordinating the elaboration of a national framework in the face of the threat of acts of terrorism.
The "VIGILNAT" plan :
- defines the government actions in the face of the threat of acts of terrorism ;
- sets up a coherent classification of the different alert levels and threat levels as well as the measures for vigilance, prevention and protection that correspond to the respective levels ;
- sets out the management and coordination bodies ;
- also sets out the process for raising the alarm for the authorities and providing information to the public.
The aims of the VIGILNAT plan are
- to provide the country and its citizens with adapted protection against the terrorist threat;
- to prevent or detect as early as possible any threat of terrorist acts;
- to guarantee a rapid and coordinated reaction in the event that a terrorist threat is imminent or a terrorist act has been committed.
The different threat levels laid out in the plan are:
Level 1 LOW
when the terrorist threat that is subject to analysis is judged to be possible, but improbable;
Level 2 MEDIUM
when the terrorist threat that is subject to analysis is judged to be real, but abstract;
Level 3 SERIOUS
when the terrorist threat that is subject to analysis is judged to be probable and concrete;
Level 4 VERY SERIOUS
when the terrorist threat that is subject to analysis is judged to be concrete and imminent, or if a terrorist attack has been committed.
The VIGILNAT plan is based upon an analysis of the risk of terrorist acts which combines a process to evaluate the threat with identification of the vulnerabilities. This approach enables the VIGILNAT position to be adapted to the current situation.
The plan is comprised of four alert levels that correspond to the respective threat levels. Depending on the alert level, the appropriate measures for vigilance, prevention and protection are put in place by the competent stakeholders.