EU warns Spain over Huawei deal for court surveillance systems
The European Commission expressed concerns about Spain’s decision to contract Chinese tech giant Huawei for sensitive judicial surveillance infrastructure, warning the deal could create dangerous dependencies on a ‘high-risk supplier’ in a critical security sector.
Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen responded to parliamentary questions about Spain’s Ministry of Interior contract with Huawei to provide servers for the SITEL telecommunications interception system, which stores court-authorised wiretaps.
‘The contract concluded by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior with Huawei can potentially create a dependency on a high-risk supplier in a critical and sensitive sector that would increase the risk of foreign interference,’ Virkkunen stated in her written response.
The Commission reiterated its 2023 assessment that Huawei and fellow Chinese firm ZTE ‘present materially higher risks than other 5G suppliers’ and noted that EU Member States’ decisions to restrict or exclude these companies are ‘justified and compliant with the 5G Toolbox’.
Concerns about Huawei and other Chinese tech companies originated during the first Trump administration’s technology rivalry with China, which imposed sanctions and export controls on Chinese firms amid allegations of national security threats and forced technology transfers. The Biden administration maintained and expanded many of these restrictions, while encouraging allies to exclude Chinese suppliers from critical infrastructure projects
The fresh EU concerns were raised by Spanish MEP Jorge Buxadé Villalba, who questioned whether the contract violated EU cybersecurity recommendations and compromised European judicial cooperation. Buxadé argued the deal ignored warnings from Brussels and international allies about Huawei’s alleged links to Chinese intelligence services.
The Spanish government’s decision affects the SITEL system, which processes some of the most sensitive data in Spain’s judicial system including court-authorised surveillance and wiretapping operations. Critics warn this could expose critical law enforcement intelligence to potential foreign interference.
Virkkunen announced the Commission would address such vulnerabilities in upcoming cybersecurity legislation. ‘The Commission will look more broadly at the security and resilience of information and communication technology supply chains and infrastructure in the upcoming revision of the Cybersecurity Act, with a view to avoid critical dependencies and de-risk our ICT supply chains from high-risk suppliers.’
The move aligns with the Commission’s ProtectEU Strategy announced in April 2025, which aims to strengthen European cybersecurity and reduce dependence on suppliers deemed security risks.
The Commission has previously committed to avoiding exposure of its own corporate networks to mobile infrastructure using Huawei and ZTE equipment and restricting these suppliers from EU funding programs.
Spain’s socialist government under Pedro Sánchez has faced criticism for proceeding with Chinese technology partnerships despite growing security concerns across Europe and NATO allies. The decision contrasts with actions by other EU members including Germany, which has moved to exclude Huawei from its 5G networks.
The controversy highlights broader tensions over Europe’s technology dependencies as the bloc seeks to balance economic interests with security concerns amid deteriorating EU-China relations.
Several European countries have restricted Chinese equipment from critical infrastructure amid security concerns. Germany ordered operators to remove Huawei and ZTE components from 5G core networks by 2026, while Sweden banned the companies entirely and required removal of existing equipment. The UK reversed course in 2020, banning Huawei after initially allowing limited participation, while France has effectively limited Chinese equipment to just 11% of its 5G networks through strict restrictions.
Huawei has consistently denied allegations of security risks and intelligence cooperation with Beijing, maintaining that its equipment poses no threat to customer data or national security.
At a Beijing press conference last month, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun answered a question about US pressure on Spain over Huawei, saying, ‘Politicising trade issues will only disrupt normal technological exchange and cooperation and does not serve any party’s interests’.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-10-2025-003060_EN.html
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-10-2025-003060-ASW_EN.pdf
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/fyrbt/lxjzh/202509/t20250917_11710263.html
