According to Bloomberg, which referenced unnamed informants, the European Commission is intensifying its push to enhance the safety of Europe’s telecom infrastructure by encouraging member nations to gradually remove equipment from Chinese technology firms such as Huawei and ZTE from their 5G and future network systems.
Back in 2020, the EC advised its members to avoid using technology from so-called “high-risk” suppliers like Huawei and ZTE. Now, Bloomberg reports that vice president Henna Virkkunen is working to transform this advice into enforceable regulation.
If Virkkunen’s initiative succeeds, EU nations may be compelled to adhere more strictly to the Commission’s security recommendations. Should these guidelines become law, countries that fail to comply could be subject to infringement actions and potential fines, according to the report. Virkkunen is also considering restricting Chinese suppliers’ participation in fiber optic network initiatives as part of efforts to accelerate broadband expansion.
Huawei and ZTE have not issued any statements in response to requests for comment.
This development is part of a wider campaign to curb China’s role in vital infrastructure, as relations between the EU and the world’s second-largest economy become increasingly strained. Last year, Germany’s chief security official announced that, beginning in 2026, the country would ban crucial components from Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei. Reports also indicate that Finland intends to expand its prohibition on Huawei equipment within 5G networks.
In the past few years, the United States has convinced European partners such as the United Kingdom and Sweden to limit or prohibit the use of Huawei technology, citing fears that Beijing could use it for cyber spying or to interfere with essential communications.
