The European Union is considering a significant public-private investment, potentially reaching hundreds of millions of euros, to establish a fleet of ships dedicated to the rapid repair of subsea cables. This initiative, driven by concerns over potential damage or sabotage, aims to enhance the resilience of critical undersea infrastructure, reports Bloomberg.
Multiple Incidents
In recent months, there have been a series of incidents in the Baltic Sea where telecommunication and power cables strung across the sea floor between countries were damaged by passing ships. While the nature of these incidents remains unclear, whether accidental or intentional, they have prompted the EU to prioritize the resilience of its critical infrastructure, including by expanding the continent’s cable-repairing fleet.
Subsea cables play a vital role in connecting countries and continents, transmitting internet and power connections. Their disruption can significantly impact digital services, including web access and financial transactions, forcing telecommunications providers to reroute traffic. The International Cable Protection Committee highlights that over 95% of global data traffic relies on subsea cables.
These cables, often as thin as a garden hose, are vulnerable to various threats, including natural events like earthquakes, accidental damage from fishing trawlers, and even deliberate sabotage. The industry currently relies on a small and aging fleet of repair ships, numbering less than 100, to address these challenges globally.
Collaborative Effort
The ship-procurement drive will be a collaborative effort, involving the EU, individual member states, and telecommunications companies. As Virkkunen emphasized, “Everybody has to participate.”
Funding for this initiative will be reallocated from the existing EU budget, as the next budget cycle is not scheduled to commence until 2028. The European Commission is expected to release further details on this plan in the coming weeks.
A delegation from the European Commission is scheduled to visit Finland next week. Finland, as one of the member states most significantly impacted by recent cable damages, will play a crucial role in these discussions.
This visit coincides with the upcoming release of three key papers by the European Commission addressing defense, internal security, and preparedness strategies.
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Source: Bloomberg
