The European Union announced this Tuesday (20) a proposal to make it mandatory to exclude foreign suppliers considered “high risk” from the bloc’s telecommunications networks, a measure that, according to European authorities, responds to “threats to the security, democracy and economy of member countries”.
According to the European Commission, the initiative aims to transform into mandatory security recommendations that, since 2023, have guided States to restrict the participation of Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE in mobile networks, especially in 5G. According to the European Executive, less than half of the 27 countries have fully adopted these guidelines.
According to the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Henna Virkkunen, cybersecurity threats “are not just technical challenges”, but strategic risks for the functioning of European democracies. According to her, the proposal aims to reinforce the bloc’s technological sovereignty and protect critical infrastructure supply chains.
According to the text presented, it will be up to the Commission, together with the Member States, to identify suppliers or countries that pose risks. Once included on the list, telecommunications operators will have up to three years to remove equipment from these companies from their networks, according to Brussels.
The proposal is part of a broader package to review the European Union’s cybersecurity standards and will still need to be approved by national governments and the European Parliament before coming into force, according to the bloc’s legislative schedule.
