Connectivity package on digital networks and infrastructure

Background

The European Commission's digital connectivity package includes a White Paper on How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs? and a Recommendation on Secure and resilient submarine cable infrastructures.

In the White Paper, the Commission proposes a number of measures to enhance the innovation, security and resilience of digital infrastructures. The challenges identified include rapid technological developments, the need for significant investment, the lack of a fully integrated single market for telecoms, a fragmented approach to radio spectrum management and the lack of a level playing field.

In order to meet the targets set in the 2030 Digital Decade Policy Programme, the document emphasises the need for substantial and coordinated investment of more than EUR 200 billion from the private and public sector to ensure the roll-out of high-capacity digital networks.

In the Recommendation, the Commission stresses the importance of submarine cable infrastructures for the EU's digital sovereignty and the need to ensure their security and resilience against potential threats.

The document underlines the strategic relevance of submarine cable infrastructures, which carry the majority of international data traffic, and highlights the potential serious consequences of systemic and widespread disruptions of submarine cable communications due to coordinated attacks or interference from third countries.

Key points

The EESC:

• highlights the importance of the digital economy for the EU economy and the benefits of interconnectivity for homes, public transport, health and personal relationships;
• believes that in the new technological and market context it is essential to level the playing field between all players in the digital ecosystem and ensure consumers are protected in the same way regardless of the supplier;
• thinks that electronic communications operators should always respect employment and trade union dialogue;
• underlines that Europe needs substantial, coordinated investment of more than EUR 200 billion from the private and public sectors to roll out high-capacity digital networks, which will help us meet the targets set in the 2030 Digital Decade Policy Programme;
• stresses that the cybersecurity, security and resilience of critical infrastructure should be based on trusted suppliers, on the development of security standards for end-to-end connectivity, and on a higher level of resilience and integration at all levels: terrestrial, non-terrestrial, access and backbone networks, including undersea cable infrastructures.

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/839

Opinion type: Mandatory

Referral: COM(2024) 81 final

Rapporteur: Isabel Caño Aguilar (Group II - Spain)

Co-rapporteur: Maurizio Mensi (Group III - Italy)

Date of adoption by section: 18 July 2024

Result of the vote: 68 in favour, 0 against, 4 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 18-19 September 2024

Result of the vote: 169 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions

Contact

Marco Pezzani

Press Officer

Tel.: +32 2 546 9793 | Mob: +32 470 881 903

E-mail: marco.pezzani@eesc.europa.eu

Alessandro Rizzi

Administrator

Tel.: +32 546 8679

E-mail: alessandro.rizzi@eesc.europa.eu