Dear President, Honourable Members,
In recent months, we have seen multiple incidents affecting critical undersea infrastructure. The latest was on Christmas Day, causing damage to a power cable between Finland and Estonia.
I commend the swift actions of Finland and Estonia and their transparency in sharing information with the Commission and member states.
We strongly condemn any deliberate destruction of Europes critical infrastructure, including energy infrastructure and undersea cables.
These events highlight the vulnerability of our critical infrastructure essential for data, gas, and electricity.
It is crucial to work together, both civil and military, to tackle these challenges.
The joint statement of the Baltic Sea NATO allies demonstrates the strength of cooperation in combating hybrid threats. Together we are stronger.
The EU Commission is working on three fronts: improving coordination, enhancing governance, and increasing funding.
In terms of coordination, the necessary legal instruments for prevention and preparedness, like the CER Directive and the NIS 2 Directive, are already in place.
The CER Directive improves the physical security of critical entities, while the NIS 2 Directive strengthens the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure.
The Commission supports member states and calls for the swift transposition of these directives. We also have infringement proceedings ongoing.
Last week, we published the Cyber Solidarity Act, providing coordinated digital preparedness testing in critical sectors, including digital infrastructure and cables.
The Act also creates the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, which can respond to large-scale cyber incidents.
The Commission is working with member states and ENISA on secure and resilient submarine cable infrastructures.
These measures focus on prevention and preparedness, but we must also hold perpetrators accountable for sabotage. In December 2024, the Council adopted its 15th sanctions package against Russia, focusing on the shadow fleet.
Regarding governance, the EU lacks common governance of cable technologies and cable-laying services.
We must work in complementarity with NATO, a key actor in deterrence in the high seas.
The Commission is ready to do more in prevention, early detection, response, and recovery capacities.
Regarding funding, this includes substantial investments in the security and resilience of submarine cables through the Connecting Europe Facility Digital program.
European safety is my priority, including safeguarding our critical infrastructure at sea, on land, and in space. Thank you for your attention.