Brussels is planning to propose new cybersecurity legislation requiring the gradual phasing out of Chinese-made equipment in critical infrastructure across the entire EU, excluding companies such as Huawei and ZTE from sectors including telecommunications networks, solar power systems, and security scanning equipment.
According to informed officials, this move reflects a comprehensive adjustment in the EU's security and technology policies, aiming to reduce reliance on large U.S. technology companies while also cutting down on technological dependence on Chinese suppliers deemed "high-risk," as some officials are concerned these devices could be used to access sensitive data.
According to the plan, the European Commission will formally present a new cybersecurity legislative proposal on Tuesday, aiming to elevate the current voluntary "high-risk supplier" restriction or exclusion mechanism to a binding requirement for member states. Over the past few years, the Commission has issued related recommendations, but implementation has been inconsistent among countries, with some member states still using equipment from suppliers like Huawei in key systems. For example, Spain signed a contract worth about 1.2 million euros last summer with Huawei to provide hardware systems for storing judicial surveillance content for law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Early versions of the draft pointed out that fragmented national-level practices make it difficult to build trust and coordination across the entire European market, thus making it necessary to establish a unified framework through legislation.
This legislative move is part of Brussels' recent efforts to strengthen scrutiny of Chinese participation in key European industries. The European Commission has launched investigations into Chinese companies participating in sectors such as European trains and wind power, and conducted a surprise inspection of the European office of Chinese security equipment manufacturer Nuctech in 2024. Officials said that the timetable for phasing out equipment would be based on an assessment of the security risks posed by suppliers to the EU and specific industries, while also considering the feasibility and cost of alternative suppliers. For example, more than 90 percent of solar components installed in the EU are currently produced in China, which makes finding alternatives in the short term realistically challenging.
In the telecommunications sector, operators have repeatedly warned that directly banning related Chinese-made equipment could increase the costs of network construction and operation, ultimately passing on to consumer prices. Some industry experts also pointed out that in the context of the EU's attempt to simultaneously reduce reliance on both U.S. and Chinese technologies, the number of available suppliers on the market is limited, which will also increase the difficulty of network upgrades and equipment replacement. According to procedure, after the Commission submits the draft, the bill will enter negotiations with the European Parliament and member state governments; since national security remains within the scope of member state sovereignty, significant disputes are expected in the capitals regarding specific phasing-out schedules and the level of enforcement.
The new proposal may also trigger strong reactions from industry lobbying groups, such as SolarPower Europe, an organization representing the European solar industry, which would be directly affected as Huawei, a supplier of photovoltaic inverters, is a member of the group. The European Commission has so far refused to comment on the relevant reports, while Huawei has not yet responded to the request for comment. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had already expressed its position in November last year regarding the EU's proposed removal of Huawei and ZTE technologies, stating that such measures violate market principles and fair competition rules, and emphasized that the practice of removing "safe and high-quality equipment" from Chinese companies in a few countries not only hinders their own technological development but also causes heavy economic losses.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7596235296456213007/
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