“Public procurement shouldn’t just be about the cheapest offer … National security must also be taken into account,” a Commission official told POLITICO, granted anonymity to discuss internal Commission thinking.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said EU countries should adopt decisions on the basis of the 5G toolbox “to restrict or exclude Huawei from their 5G networks,” adding that “a lack of swift action exposes the EU as a whole to a clear risk.”
Huawei’s presence in European digital infrastructure varies across the bloc. Countries including Spain and Germany have been slower to wean off Chinese tech, or more lenient toward it. Others including Sweden, Czechia and Lithuania have imposed stricter rules to bar Chinese equipment.
Germany in recent years faced criticism from allied countries for failing to drive out Huawei from its 5G networks.
The news from Spain could put it at odds with allies too, warned Natasha Buckley, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank.
The move “will definitely give other European states a moment for pause when deciding about engaging with that kind of intelligence data or perhaps even sharing,” she said. “If Europe’s trying to secure itself … a weak link in a supply chain in one country will inherently reduce the strength of the posture for many.”
