The European Commission has recommended that EU member states exclude equipment from Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corporation from local telecom operators’ connectivity infrastructure, according to remarks by a Commission spokesperson reported by Reuters. The recommendation is the latest escalation in the European Union’s effort to tighten cybersecurity protections around critical communications networks.
Speaking during a briefing in Brussels on Monday, the spokesperson said forthcoming cybersecurity rules under consideration would give the EU authority to ban the use of equipment from so-called “high-risk suppliers” across the European market. The proposal would significantly strengthen Brussels’ ability to impose bloc-wide restrictions rather than relying solely on individual member states to implement national measures.
The move reflects the Commission’s increasingly hardline approach toward Chinese telecom vendors, which EU institutions and several member states have identified as posing elevated security risks in critical infrastructure.
The recommendation has already drawn a sharp reaction from Beijing. China last week warned that it could adopt countermeasures against the EU if the new cybersecurity rules are implemented, arguing that the proposed framework is “discriminatory” toward Chinese companies.
If adopted, the new rules could formalize and expand restrictions already imposed by several EU governments on Huawei and ZTE equipment in 5G and broader telecom networks, further deepening tensions between Brussels and Beijing over technology security and market access.
