EU Commission promises to improve submarine cable safety

The European Union promises to take action to increase the safety of submarine cables.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, said that it was clear the EU must be able to better protect its critical infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports citing Finnish media.

"It is important that there is cooperation between the member states, the EU and NATO. Of course, NATO's presence also has an impact," Virkkunen said while presenting the joint communication of the Commission and the EU High Representative on improving the safety and resilience of submarine cables in her native Finland on February 21.

Security requirements and risk assessments for underwater cables will be tightened, and funding for the deployment of new and intelligent cables will be prioritized to ensure greater backup capacity. In addition, Virkkunen says it is important to invest in new technologies, such as sensors and the use of satellites and drones for maritime surveillance. She also recalled that the Union was currently funding the deployment of new types of submarine smart cables. 

There are plans to expand threat monitoring capabilities in each maritime area to create a comprehensive situational picture. Repair capacities will be increased to ensure the rapid restoration of damaged cables. The EU was planning to map its underwater cables throughout 2025.

The vice-president believes that the EU must be able to intervene in shadow fleet operations and include an increasing number of vessels in EU sanctions, hinting at Russia's employed methods that allowed them to greatly bypass imposed sanctions.

It was emphasized that ensuring infrastructure security is the responsibility of the entire EU, not just the member states whose cables have recently been damaged.

Virkkunen is visiting Helsinki with the Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, and the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner.

By Nazrin Sadigova