Overview

• Dolors Montserrat has formally requested that the European Commission and European External Action Service assess the security risks of Huawei’s role in storing court-authorised intercepts in Spain’s SITEL system.
• She argues that assigning storage of wiretaps on terrorism, organized crime and espionage to Huawei clashes with EU cybersecurity standards.
• Montserrat warned that relying on technology subject to Chinese national security law could lead to data leaks or covert monitoring by Chinese intelligence and erode confidence with US and UK partners.
• The PP cited the EU 5G Security Toolbox’s 2020 guidance to exclude high-risk vendors and said the Huawei deal breaches those policy recommendations.
• She recalled the Commission’s stance that security must take precedence over cost and said the contract violates the bloc’s precautionary principle for public cybersecurity.