Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, could face a ban on developing critical 5G network infrastructure in the European Union (EU) as early as next year, according to a report by the Financial Times (FT). The EU is reportedly considering a ban on Huawei and other companies deemed as “security risks” at a bloc level due to concerns that individual member states, including Germany, are not moving quickly enough to implement the bloc’s recommendations on 5G and cybersecurity.
The recommendations put forward by the EU discuss the need for certifications from companies involved in building critical 5G infrastructure and the importance of diversifying suppliers. However, no explicit ban has been proposed. The FT report suggests that while all member states agreed to the recommendations three years ago, they have been slow in implementing them.
Currently, one-third of EU member states have already banned Huawei from participating in the development of critical 5G infrastructure. Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, has called for more countries to join these bans, emphasizing that the limited number of bans jeopardizes the collective security of the union. EU executives are scheduled to discuss the recommendations in an upcoming meeting.
The FT report suggests that the current European Commission is unlikely to conclude work on any new regulations, and it is doubtful that concrete actions will be seen this year. The European Parliament is known for its slow adoption of new regulations.
In response to the potential ban, Huawei restated its position, asserting that there is no evidence of its involvement in any illegal activities. The company criticized the politicization of cybersecurity evaluations, arguing that it goes against the principles of fairness, non-discrimination, and EU laws and regulations. Huawei emphasized that no court has ever found the company guilty of malicious intellectual property theft or required it to pay damages for intellectual property infringement.
Huawei has faced controversy over cybersecurity concerns since the Trump administration accused the company of collaborating with the Chinese government. The US government raised concerns that Huawei’s 5G infrastructure could be exploited by the Chinese government for espionage purposes, particularly targeting Western diplomats, journalists, and other individuals of interest. As a result, Huawei has been banned from participating in critical 5G infrastructure development in the US and several other countries worldwide.
