EU Moves to Ban ‘High-risk’ Suppliers From EU Critical Infrastructure

The European Commission has announced new cybersecurity plans that will phase out the use of technology from so-called high-risk critical infrastructure suppliers.

While China and Chinese companies are not named in the plans, the bloc is slowly reducing its reliance on essential components from the country. For example, both the US and Germany have banned the use of Chinese-made components in different critical sectors.

The EU’s Cybersecurity Act includes these measures, which are said to be targeted at espionage risks and increasing issues around foreign interference. This ongoing shift will clearly impact hardware sourcing across the world, as countries limit what tools can be used in sectors that are viewed as essential to the security of the nation. Intelligent devices and robotics, too, will be impacted by the move to ban certain components.

The Chinese government and prominent Chinese technology companies have publicly criticised these measures. The measures included in the Cybersecurity Act are not final and will still need to be approved by both the European Parliament and EU governments before they become law.

“A legislative proposal to limit or exclude non-EU suppliers based on country of origin, rather than factual evidence and technical standards, violates the EU’s basic legal principles of fairness, non-discrimination, and proportionality, as well as its WTO (World Trade Organisation) obligations,” said a Huawei spokesperson.

“We will closely monitor the subsequent development of the legislative process and reserve all rights to safeguard our legitimate interests. We urge the EU to provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies and avoid hurting companies’ confidence in their investment in Europe.”

Join Cloud & Cyber Security Expo

4-5 March 2026, Excel London

From Threat to Trust – Secure Your Stack, Protect Your Business.

Join CISOs, Architects, and Risk Leaders tackling Zero Trust, post-quantum encryption, and AI threats at the UK’s most comprehensive security event.

Secure Your Ticket