In a late addition to the digital ministers’ meeting agenda in Nicosia, Spain and France called for the EU to prioritize satellite spectrums in its technology efforts, aiming to exclude foreign firms from essential sectors, as per a text obtained by POLITICO.
“It is time to decide whether we want our skies to be stronger or dependent,” stated Spain’s Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López. “It is time to make the European satellite industry great again.”
“Infrastructures like telecommunications are a critical asset from the ground to the sky if we truly believe in digital sovereignty,” López explained. He emphasized the need for national capitals to play a key role in the auction process.
Henna Virkkunen, European Commission’s tech chief, informed reporters that spectrum allocation will be a “co-legislation” process involving both the Commission and EU member states. She mentioned that Brussels is near finalizing its proposal, to be released “very soon.”
This comes as Beijing recently threatened retaliation should Brussels limit Chinese companies’ access to the EU’s critical tech sectors.
Virkkunen indicated that any restrictions on critical tech infrastructure providers would be “a very, very tailor-made approach,” considering each component’s risks and how to mitigate them.
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