The European Commission is reportedly preparing to impose a region-wide ban on Huawei and ZTE mobile networking equipment across EU member states. The move follows recent remarks by Vice President Henna Virkkunen, who urged all countries to enforce the EU’s 2020 5G security toolbox and stop relying on “high-risk vendors” for mobile networks.
“The security of our 5G networks is crucial for our economy. The Commission urges member states that have not yet implemented the 5G Toolbox to also adopt relevant measures to effectively and quickly address the risk. A lack of swift action exposes the EU as a whole to a clear risk,” said Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission.
Currently, each EU country has the freedom to decide its telecom infrastructure policies. However, a new directive from the Commission could soon enforce a bloc-wide ban on Huawei and ZTE equipment.
Several nations, including Germany, Finland, and Sweden, have already restricted Chinese network equipment. In contrast, others, such as Spain and Greece, continue to allow Huawei and ZTE in their mobile networks.