Finland, Estonia and Sweden emphasise the importance of resilient European submarine infrastructure

The telecommunications ministers of Finland, Estonia and Sweden stress that the resilience of critical underwater infrastructure is now more important than ever. The ministers underlined the importance of resilient infrastructure at the Telecommunications Council in Brussels 5 December 2023.

In light of recent incidents affecting submarine infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, Finland, Estonia and Sweden invite the Commission to propose steps to enhance the security and resilience of submarine infrastructure in Europe. In their joint letter, the ministers emphasise the need for further investments in submarine communication cables at the European Union level.

“The resilience of European communications infrastructure is crucial, as it is critical for the basic functioning of our digital societies and economies. With this in mind, special attention should be paid to cross-border underwater connections,” says Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne.

“Without sufficient investment in resilient underwater communications infrastructure, Europe may not be able to ensure the basic connectivity that is essential for the functioning of society and the entire single market,” Swedish Minister of Public Administration Erik Slottner says.

“We are encouraged by the widespread support from other Member States for further investments in submarine communication cables at the European Union level,” says Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Tiit Riisalo.

Inquiries:

Tuomas Sorsa, Special Adviser to Minister Ranne, tel. +358 295 342 012, [email protected]
Laura Laaster, Press secretary, tel. +372 518 9611, [email protected]
Erika Svanström, Press secretary, tel. +46 76 64 86 548, [email protected]