EU Unveils Secure Submarine Cable Infrastructure Strategy

Executive briefing: On February 21, 2024 the European Commission and the High Representative released a Joint Communication outlining a European strategy for secure and resilient submarine cable infrastructure. The plan proposes risk assessments for critical routes, coordinated EU funding, and strengthened security requirements for operators and vendors.

Key policy signals

• Risk-based mapping. Member States must identify strategically important cable routes and landing stations, integrating the analysis into EU risk assessments.
• Funding mobilisation. The Commission will leverage the Connecting Europe Facility, InvestEU, and Global Gateway to co-finance diversification projects.
• Security obligations. The strategy calls for supply-chain vetting, incident reporting, and alignment with the EU NIS2 Directive for submarine cable operators.

Control alignment

• Route diversification. Evaluate European connectivity portfolios to ensure redundant landing points for critical traffic.
• Procurement. Update vendor due diligence criteria to reflect the strategy’s security expectations and NIS2 requirements.
• Engagement. Participate in Member State consultations and industry forums shaping the implementation roadmap.

Action checklist

• Map enterprise dependencies on EU landing stations identified as critical under the strategy.
• Coordinate with cable consortia on funding applications tied to EU diversification programs.
• Embed the strategy’s incident reporting expectations into European telecom compliance frameworks.

Sources

• European Commission — Joint Communication on a European Strategy for Secure Submarine Cable Infrastructure (February 21, 2024)
• Joint Communication — Secure Submarine Cables (PDF)

Zeph Tech supports telecom resilience planning by aligning EU clients with the submarine cable security strategy.