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The [European] Commission “strongly urges” member states to comply with its recommendations and adopt “appropriate measures” to “restrict or exclude Huawei from their 5G networks,” a spokesperson said, emphasizing that Brussels considers the Chinese company to pose “significantly higher risks than other suppliers.” “A lack of swift action exposes the entire EU to a clear risk,” the spokesperson insisted.
To date, only 13 member states have taken steps to restrict Huawei’s access to their networks. France was among the first, passing a law in August 2019 to reduce Huawei’s footprint in the country: SFR and Bouygues Telecom, the two operators using its services, had to dismantle thousands of Chinese antennas, especially those located near sites deemed strategic, whether factories, military bases or government facilities.
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Long more welcoming to Huawei, Germany – the company’s largest market in Europe – is now taking a tougher stance. In Berlin on Thursday, conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared his determination to replace certain 5G network components with parts that Germany produces itself, Bloomberg reported. “And we won’t allow any components from China in the 6G network,” he added.
Berlin already took steps in summer 2024 to exclude Huawei from sensitive 5G Core Network infrastructure, where all communications transit by the end of 2026. The aim was to protect “the central nervous systems of Germany as a business location – and we are protecting the communication of citizens, companies and the state,” said Nancy Faeser, then Germany’s interior minister, on July 11, 2024.
But for Brussels, “this is not enough.” Some countries, such as Spain, have opened their doors wide to Chinese investment. And the Commission viewed Madrid’s July decision to entrust Huawei with management of court-ordered phone surveillance data storage as alarming.
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