EU will not ban Huawei, but will impose “strict” 5G rules

Brussels: A senior official said on Tuesday that the European Union will not ban the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei or any other company in Europe, despite the enormous pressure from Washington to avoid potential espionage risks.

The executive body of the European Commission, the European Commission, will officially disclose its recommendations to Member States on Wednesday, but Commissioner Thierry Breton has told Members of the European Parliament that Brussels will thoroughly review every package of bans.

“It is not a matter of discrimination, it is a matter of making rules. These rules will be strict, they will be tough, and of course we welcome all European operators who are prepared to adopt these rules.”

Although the EU has never explicitly mentioned the Chinese giant, it is still struggling to find an intermediate way of balancing Huawei’s huge 5G dominance with Washington’s security concerns.

The proposal is part of a proposed “toolbox” that will guide the 27 EU Member States after the Brexit in building key 5G networks.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also expected to risk Washington’s anger on Tuesday and make a similar decision to rely on strict rules instead of banning Huawei.

The ban on Huawei will ultimately depend on individual member states, but the intervening proposal from the European Commission provides coverage for European capitals to resist Washington’s appeal.

Huawei is one of the world’s leading suppliers of network technology and one of the few suppliers that can set up a 5G network with European telecommunications companies Nokia and Ericsson.

The United States views the company as a potential threat to cyber security and fears that it will promote Chinese espionage activities of the Chinese government on the internet, which are said to have close ties with the Chinese government.