EU Considers Forcing Member States to Ban High-Risk Vendors

The European Commission is reportedly exploring ways to impose a mandatory ban on Chinese telecom equipment makers Huawei and ZTE within the mobile networks of European Union member states. The move is being considered due to security concerns and the slow adoption of previous non-binding recommendations by national governments to restrict the use of equipment from high-risk suppliers.

Discussions among officials are centered on the necessity of a unified approach to secure the bloc’s critical 5G infrastructure. This follows years of warnings from security agencies and pressure from the United States regarding the potential for espionage and sabotage associated with the Chinese technology firms.

Frustration Over Slow Progress on Voluntary Measures

The EU previously established a set of guidelines known as the “5G toolbox,” which advised member states on how to mitigate security risks, including the option to exclude high-risk vendors from core network components. However, adoption of these recommendations has been inconsistent across the 27-nation bloc. Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton stated that only a third of EU countries have implemented a ban on Huawei in critical parts of their 5G communications. The lack of uniform action has prompted the Commission to consider making such restrictions compulsory to protect the EU’s collective security.