The European Union is exploring a mandatory ban that would require member states to prohibit companies posing a security risk, including China’s Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp, from their 5G networks. This development was reported by Bloomberg News, citing individuals familiar with the ongoing discussions.

The potential move is being considered in Brussels amid concerns that some national governments are not acting quickly enough to address security vulnerabilities within their telecommunications infrastructure.

Implementation of the EU’s 5G Toolbox

In 2020, the European Union introduced a set of measures known as the “5G toolbox”. This guidance recommended that member countries could restrict or completely exclude vendors deemed to be ‘high-risk’ from the core elements of their 5G network infrastructure. Huawei and ZTE were identified among these high-risk vendors.

Despite this guidance, reports indicate that only about one-third of EU member countries have so far implemented a ban on Huawei from critical parts of their 5G communications systems. This slow adoption rate has been a point of discussion among EU officials.

Discussions at the Telecoms Council

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton was slated to discuss the matter with EU telecoms ministers during a meeting of the Telecoms Council. The agenda for the discussion included the implementation of the 5G toolbox and the overall security of telecommunication networks in the bloc.

Separately, actions at the national level include Germany’s interior ministry considering a ban on specific components from Huawei and ZTE in its networks. For their part, both Huawei and ZTE have repeatedly denied the accusations that their equipment poses a security risk.