The European Union has pledged to boost its “deterrence posture” when it comes to protecting the network of submarine communications cables linking the continent to the rest of the world and its outlying islands.
The “action plan” aims to prevent “disruptive incidents”, rather than simply pointing to malign outside forces when comms cables are damaged then just sucking it up and repairing them.
The united front comes just weeks after the UK Parliament launched its own inquiry into cable security, noting that “around 60 cables connect the UK to the outside world”. The effect of “simultaneous damage to multiple cables would be significant, particularly during periods of heightened tension of conflict” it added.
It also comes amidst Europe-wide panic over the fracturing of the North Atlantic alliance, and an ever more belligerent Russia. That said, it's not just Europe that's vulnerable.
As the Lords and MPs note, a number of cables in Northern European waters, including those around the North Sea and the Baltic “have been severed in the past few years”.
“Over 50 Russian vessels have been observed around areas of high cable density in the Baltic Seat,” they added.
The EU’s action plan added that submarine comms cables account for 99% of intercontinental traffic but also noted the importance of subsea electricity cables.
And while accidental damage was always a possibility, “the pattern observed in recent months, particularly in the Baltic sea, suggests that this critical infrastructure is increasingly the target of deliberate hostile acts.”
The EU pointed out that submarine cables already fall under the auspices of of NIS2 and other programs.
The new Action Plan will develop an investment framework for significant EU cable infrastructures.
More practically, it will push for coordination on an “integrated surveillance mechanism” for the cables, including early detection of suspicious vessels and real time monitoring of cables and data activity to detect attacks.
But it also envisions “enhanced space surveillance services” and the use of drones to track and monitor suspicious vessels.
It is backing an “open call under the Digital Europe Programme (EUR 22 million) for the creation of cross border Security Operations Centres (SOCs)”, with the Baltic first on the list. And it has also called for closer miliary and civil cooperation, including stepped up coordination with NATO.
Other proposals include an “EU Cable Vessels Reserve Fleet” and the stockpiling of essential materials and equipment.
When it comes to deterrence, the plan calls for more “follow through when it comes to attribution and sanctions”. Russia is the named villain here, and is already highly sanctioned.
But Brussels is taking aim at the “shadow fleet” of aging vehicles used in these attacks, and the third parties that host and facilitate them.
Will that be enough? Unlikely.
But as the UK’s report noted: “There is no need for panic—we have a good degree of resilience, and awareness of the challenge is growing. But we must be clear-eyed about the risks and consequences: an attack of this nature would hit us hard.”
