European Union will have Huawei risk measures in place ‘by end of the year’
- President of European Economic and Social Committee Luca Jahier says Beijing could improve standing by making Chinese market a more fair place to do business
- ‘The EU is under huge pressure not to use any Huawei equipment in its roll-out of 5G networks,’ Jahier says
European Union countries will agree on collective measures to deal with potential spying risks from equipment made by Huawei by the end of the year, the head of an EU advisory body has said.
Luca Jahier, the president of the European Economic and Social Committee, which represents the views of workers’ and employers’ organisations, said that the EU was well aware of the security concerns about the Chinese telecoms giant’s gear and took a cautious approach to the problem.
“The EU is under huge pressure not to use any Huawei equipment in its roll-out of 5G networks,” Jahier – who is in Shanghai to attend this week’s EU-China Roundtable – said on Thursday, referring to Washington’s campaign against the Chinese firm.
“Many European operators are in the process of contracting vendors for the roll-out of 5G networks. The global debate about alleged security risks is forcing operators to consider potential restrictions on Chinese telecoms equipment in Europe,” Jahier, an Italian who has been a member of the committee since 2002, said.
Each of the EU’s 28 member states has decided on its own measures in dealing with Huawei, but a collective and coordinated response by the bloc has not been agreed.