EU Moves to Ban Huawei and ZTE from Telecom Networks Amid Security Concerns
The European Commission is reportedly moving forward with plans to ban Huawei and ZTE from Europe’s telecommunications networks. This move could reshape the continent’s digital infrastructure and deepen tensions with China.
According to Bloomberg, Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen is seeking to transform the EU’s 2020 recommendation, which advised member states to avoid “high-risk vendors” in mobile infrastructure, into a binding legal requirement.
If implemented, the new rule would compel all 27 EU member states to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from their 5G and fixed-line networks, or risk legal and financial penalties.
What the Ban Covers
The proposed ban targets network infrastructure hardware, such as antennas, routers, and core systems that power mobile and broadband services, rather than consumer electronics like smartphones or laptops.
This means Huawei’s popular consumer devices would remain unaffected, at least for now. The focus instead lies on preventing Chinese companies from playing a role in Europe’s critical communications infrastructure.
Centralising Telecom Security Rules
Telecom regulation has traditionally been managed by individual EU countries, with each deciding which vendors to include in their national networks. However, the Commission’s new plan would centralise those decisions, setting a Europe-wide security standard that overrides national discretion.
This would mark one of the EU’s most assertive moves yet to limit Chinese technology across the region, echoing the United States’ 2019 restrictions on Huawei.
Rising Geopolitical and Security Tensions
The proposal comes at a time of increasing political and economic strain between Brussels and Beijing. European officials have repeatedly voiced concerns that Huawei’s close ties to the Chinese government could expose European telecom networks to espionage or sabotage risks.
Critics argue that Chinese vendors’ participation in Europe’s 5G backbone could give Beijing strategic leverage, especially amid ongoing trade disputes and fears of overreliance on Chinese technology in critical sectors.
A Major Shift in Europe’s Tech Policy
If passed, the EU’s decision would mark a major policy shift from advisory to enforcement, forcing member states and telecom operators to phase out Huawei and ZTE gear within a set timeframe.
It also signals a broader European ambition to diversify technology supply chains, strengthen cybersecurity, and align more closely with U.S.-led efforts to curb China’s tech influence.
