The European Commission has announced new measures worth €45.8 million to enhance the security and resilience of Europe’s submarine communication infrastructure, a critical component of digital connectivity and energy networks.

The Commission will provide €5.8 million to establish the first two Regional Cable Hubs in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. These hubs will improve surveillance, information sharing, threat detection, and coordinated responses to incidents affecting undersea cables.

The Baltic Sea Hub, receiving €2.5 million, will be coordinated by Finland together with Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden. The Mediterranean Hub, backed by €3.3 million, will be led by Italy in cooperation with Greece, Cyprus, and Malta.

In parallel, the Commission launched a €40 million funding call to expand Europe’s capacity to repair damaged submarine communication cables. The initiative will support repair modules that can be rapidly deployed by existing vessels in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and other European sea basins during emergencies.

The programme is part of the EU’s efforts to implement the EU Action Plan on Cable Security, introduced in 2025 following several incidents involving undersea cables in the Baltic region.

Background

Submarine cables carry the vast majority of international internet and data traffic and are increasingly viewed as critical infrastructure. Through the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme, the EU has already committed hundreds of millions of euros to strengthen cable connectivity and resilience.

In short: The EU is creating its first regional cable security hubs and investing €40 million in emergency repair capabilities to better protect critical undersea communications infrastructure from disruptions and security threats.