EU bolsters submarine cable security with €347M investment and new toolbox

The European Commission allocated €347 million to strategic submarine cable projects, including a €20 million call to enhance Europe's repair capacities, which opens today, Report informs, citing a statement.

"As the EU faces increasing risks to this critical infrastructure, the European Commission is intensifying efforts to enhance its security and resilience. Today, it introduced a new Cable Security Toolbox of risk mitigating measures and a list of Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs). It also amended the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - Digital Work Programme to allocate €347 million to strategic submarine cable projects, including a €20 million call to enhance Europe's repair capacities, which opens today," reads the statement.

Today's announcements are part of the EU Action Plan on Cable Security, aimed at increasing the security and resilience of Europe's submarine cables, including countering the rise of intentional damage and sabotage.

In 2026, two funding calls worth €60 million will support cable repair modules, alongside a separate €20 million call for SMART cable system equipment. These are sensors and monitoring components integrated into submarine telecommunications infrastructure to gather real-time ocean and seismic data.

"Opening today is a €20 million call under CEF Digital to finance adaptable modules for submarine cable repairs. These modules will be stationed at ports or shipyards to swiftly restore submarine cable services. This marks the first phase of a broader initiative planned for all major sea basins of the European Union, including the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. This pilot will focus on the Baltic Sea due to the rise in submarine cable disruptions in recent years, suggesting these critical infrastructures might be subject to hostile acts," said the EC.