The European Union is considering a public-private initiative worth “hundreds of millions” of euros to buy ships capable of quickly repairing undersea cables in case of damage or sabotage. “We are now discussing with member states what the necessary amount would be,” said Henna Virkkunen,
The European Commission’s executive vice-president for technological sovereignty, security and democracy, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference MSC. “When it comes to security, we see that there is an urgent need for action.”
A series of incidents in the Baltic Sea
In recent months there has been a series of incidents in the Baltic Sea in which telecommunications and electricity cables laid on the seabed between EU countries were damaged by passing ships. While it is unclear whether these outages were accidental or intentional, this trend has pushed Europe to focus on the resilience of its infrastructure, including by strengthening the continent’s cable repair fleet.
Disruptions to digital services
Undersea cables carry internet and power connections across countries and continents, and their loss can cause disruptions to digital services, including web access and payments, and force telecom providers to reroute traffic. Over 95% of global data traffic passes through submarine cables according to the International Cable Protection Committee.
French telephone company Orange SA
The cables themselves are as thick as a garden hose and can be exposed to damage, from natural events such as earthquakes, accidents such as fishing boats dragging equipment onto the seabed, and from specially designed sabotage. The industry relies on a small fleet of aging repair vessels, with fewer than 100 units to cover the entire world. The French telephone company Orange SA has launched a new ship in 2023 worth 50 million euros.
The ship-buying campaign
The ship-buying campaign would be “largely a public-private partnership,” with the European Union, individual countries and telecommunications companies likely to contribute. “Everyone has to participate,” Virkkunen said.
Reallocated from the existing budget
The necessary funds from the EU will be reallocated from the existing budget, as the next budget will not be implemented before 2028. More details on this action plan will be announced by the European Commission over the coming weeks.
A Commission delegation will travel next week to Virkkunen‘s home country of Finland, one of the Member States most affected by the cable damage, as Europe prepares to publish three documents covering defence, internal security and preparedness strategies.
Italy can boast both a company
In this field, Italy can boast both a company like Prysmian, specialized in the laying of submarine cables thanks to a fleet of 8 ships, and Vard a subsidiary of Fincantieri, i.e. the shipyards specialized in the design and construction of these highly technological vessels. Vard recently delivered the brand new cable-laying vessel Mona Lisa to Prysmian.as Shipping Italy said
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