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EU Warns Spain’s Huawei Deal for Sitel Could Create High‑Risk Dependency

Brussels will fold ICT supply‑chain risks into the upcoming Cybersecurity Regulation review.

Overview

  • In a written reply to MEP Dolors Montserrat, Commission vice president Henna Virkkunen said Spain’s Interior Ministry contract with Huawei for Sitel storage has the potential to increase exposure to foreign interference.
  • Sitel manages judicial wiretaps and international police cooperation, placing its infrastructure in a highly sensitive category for national and EU security.
  • The Commission reiterated that Huawei and ZTE present substantially higher risks than other 5G vendors and noted its 2023 commitment to keep its corporate communications off networks using those suppliers.
  • EU officials said the forthcoming Cybersecurity Regulation review will more broadly assess the security and resilience of ICT supply chains and critical infrastructures.
  • Spain’s opposition PP/EPP urged binding criteria to curb high‑risk vendors and cited additional Huawei deals, including a RedIRIS contract later canceled and storage cabinets used by Social Security.