Spain is urging EU member states to keep a say over which countries, suppliers, or products can be excluded from infrastructure projects under a strengthened European Cybersecurity Act, which it supports in principle, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday.
According to the ministry of digital transformation’s spokeswoman, the matter concerned national sovereignty as outlined in EU treaties.
The remarks coincide with the European Commission’s efforts to amend the Cybersecurity Act in order to gradually remove equipment and parts from high-risk suppliers in vital industries.
Huawei and other Chinese businesses are expected to be impacted by the initiative.
Brussels would have the authority to prohibit the use of equipment from high-risk suppliers in the EU market under the plans, which are now under negotiation.
According to the ministry, Spain supports bolstering the Cybersecurity Act but wants it done within a legally sound framework that is in line with the distribution of powers in EU treaties.
The ministry further stated that in order to provide legal certainty and respect for national sovereignty, any classification of suppliers should be based on objective, proportionate and practical technological criteria.
The Commission suggested earlier in May that member states keep Huawei and ZTE technologies out of the connectivity infrastructure of local telecom providers.
Due to the usage of Huawei technology, Spain terminated a fiber-optic service agreement with Telefonica last year.
