The European Union is preparing measures that would force member states to phase out Chinese-made equipment from critical infrastructure, targeting suppliers such as Huawei and ZTE, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
According to the report, the European Commission is expected to present a cybersecurity proposal on Tuesday that would make restrictions on so-called “high-risk vendors” mandatory across the bloc. Current EU rules allow countries to limit such suppliers on a voluntary basis, but officials cited by the FT said the new framework would require national governments to comply.
The move would extend beyond telecom networks to include other sensitive sectors such as solar energy systems. Some telecom operators in major EU markets, including Spain and Germany, have previously resisted enforcing strict bans, citing costs and operational challenges.
Under the proposal, timelines for removing Chinese equipment would vary depending on the level of risk to the EU and the sector involved. Officials said the process would also consider the financial burden on operators and the availability of alternative suppliers, potentially stretching the phase-out over several years.
The report could not immediately be verified by Reuters. The European Commission, China’s commerce ministry, Huawei and ZTE did not respond to requests for comment.
The push comes amid a broader hardening of Western policy toward Chinese technology firms. In the United States, authorities banned approvals of new telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE in 2022 and have urged European allies to adopt similar measures. In Europe, Huawei has been reassessing the future of a recently completed manufacturing plant in eastern France, as governments tighten restrictions and 5G rollouts remain uneven across the continent.
The proposed EU action signals a shift toward a more unified and enforceable approach to cybersecurity and supply-chain risk, as the bloc seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese suppliers in strategically sensitive infrastructure.
