Brussels tightens rules: labels Chinese technologies in networks a security risk

The European Commission has recommended that member states exclude equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE from telecommunications infrastructure. Reuters reported this, citing an announcement by a Commission spokesperson. New cybersecurity rules currently being prepared are also intended to allow the EU to ban the use of technologies from suppliers considered high-risk across the EU market. The EU will also stop subsidising energy projects using Chinese technologies that could pose a risk to the operation of its electricity grid.

The measure is part of a broader effort to strengthen the security of European networks and limit dependence on suppliers that may pose a security risk. Some EU countries are already gradually restricting or removing equipment from these companies from critical infrastructure.

China warned last week that it could take retaliatory measures if the new cybersecurity rules are introduced, as it considers the proposals discriminatory.

European Commission spokesperson Siobhan McGarry added, according to AFP, that the EU will stop providing subsidies for energy projects using technologies from high-risk countries such as China, Russia, Iran or North Korea. The measure applies in particular to inverters, devices used, for example, in solar power plants to convert direct current into alternating current. According to Brussels, these technologies may pose a security threat, including the risk of disrupting critical EU infrastructure or remotely shutting down power grids.

Since the beginning of April, the European Commission has already halted funding for new projects that use equipment from suppliers considered risky, including Chinese companies Huawei and Sungrow. A transition period has been set for projects at an advanced stage.

Brussels is also highlighting the risks associated with the dominance of Chinese manufacturers in this sector and wants to provide greater support to European suppliers or partners from other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, the United States and Switzerland.