The European Commission (EC) is ramping up efforts to safeguard undersea cables by proposing increased surveillance and assembling a fleet of emergency repair vessels. The move comes amid growing concerns over recent incidents where power lines, telecom networks, and gas pipelines have suffered possible sabotage.
Unveiling the plan on February 21, EC Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, emphasized Europe’s need to not only prevent and detect threats but also actively deter and respond to them. Securing critical infrastructure, she stressed, is vital for both economic stability and collective security.
That same day, Swedish authorities launched an investigation into a suspected attack on a Baltic Sea telecom cable. Meanwhile, NATO, recognizing the rising threats, confirmed in January that some member states had deployed frigates, patrol aircraft, and naval drones to bolster security in the region.
The EC’s action plan lays out a strategy to deter, prevent, and swiftly address any damage to essential cables. Although no fresh funding has been allocated, the commission intends to redirect existing EU budget resources, potentially amounting to hundreds of millions of euros, toward these objectives.
To enhance monitoring, the EC, alongside EU member states, aims to develop a surveillance system integrating multiple data sources and launch an air and underwater drone program. As a pilot initiative, a regional hub in the Baltic Sea will test this new surveillance approach.
Another key priority is securing spare parts and, in the long run, forming a reserve fleet dedicated to deploying and repairing submarine electric and optical cables during emergencies. Additionally, the EC, in coordination with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, plans to deepen cooperation with NATO to strengthen undersea infrastructure protection and hold perpetrators accountable for any attacks.
