Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE pose a risk factor to the security of EU countries if they play a role in the construction of 5G networks. The European Commission emphasized this on Thursday. The exclusion of these companies by member states is “justified and in accordance with EU directives”, it can be read in a statement.
On Thursday, the European Commission discussed the so-called ‘5G Toolbox’, a series of guidelines on 5G networks in the EU that all member states must adhere to, with the aim of better protecting the European digital infrastructure. According to Thierry BretonEuropean Commissioner for the Internal Market, many Member States still work with suppliers who, according to the guidelines, pose a high risk for data security, among other things.
According to Breton, only ten of the 27 EU member states are complying with the guidelines by blocking such suppliers. “This is too slow, and it poses a major security risk and exposes the collective security of the Union,” he said. Huawei and ZTE deny all allegations about possible abuse of their telecom networks in other countries.
Still European money to Huawei
The European Commission also announced on Thursday that all technology from Huawei and ZTE will be banned for internal use. According to Breton, Europe will also adhere more strictly to the guidelines in the allocation of funding for EU-sponsored programs. The Financial Times reported Wednesday that Huawei is funded by the EU for advanced research on communication systems.
According to the FT, Huawei is closely involved in eleven projects that are part of the European innovation program Horizon Europe. These are projects involving research into artificial intelligence, 6G and cloud computing, among other things. The Chinese telecom companies received almost four million euros in European money for this. According to the Financial Times As a result, Huawei still plays “a central role in sensitive technologies in Europe”.