Subsea Cables: Navigating Europe’s Competitiveness and Resilience in Critical Infrastructure

Submarine cable infrastructure is the invisible backbone of Europe’s economy and digital society. Over 95% of international internet traffic and critical data flows – from bank transactions to military communications – transit through subsea cables. As Europe’s geopolitical environment becomes more contested, underwater infrastructure is emerging as a strategic vulnerability and a growing test of European competitiveness and sovereignty. 

In recent years, the EU’s seabed has become increasingly congested, contested, and exposed. New systems are being deployed at record pace to meet rising demand for capacity, yet ownership and control are slipping from European hands. U.S. tech giants are driving a growing share of new deployments, bypassing traditional telecom carriers and shaping cable markets to suit their needs. Meanwhile, high-profile incidents of cable damage in the Baltic and beyond – whether accidental or deliberate – have revealed concerning legal and operational gaps in the EU’s preparedness, coordination, and resilience. While the European Commission has taken some notable policy steps, these remain fragmented and limited in scope relative to the scale of the challenge. 

This project explores the growing strategic relevance of undersea cables as a dual challenge of competitiveness and resilience for the EU. Anchored in a series of expert roundtables and a forward-looking publication, it assesses how European policy could adapt to shifting industry dynamics and geopolitical realities. The work takes stock of existing EU initiatives and examines key policy trade-offs related to ownership, repair protocols, redundancy, surveillance, and funding. It also considers the potential role of EU competition and industrial policy in fostering more coherent European leadership in this vital sector. 

By generating fresh insights and actionable recommendations, the project aims to inform future EU action — ensuring Europe is not left behind in a field increasingly shaped by the strategic imperatives of others.