Power Lines and Data Links Face Brussels’ Scrutiny

EU’s new cable security plan sharpens oversight of manufacturers and market behavior

6 Nov 2025

The EU has stepped up supervision of Europe’s subsea and energy cable industries with a new Action Plan on Cable Security, issued in February 2025, introducing wide-ranging measures to improve monitoring, resilience, and supply-chain transparency. The plan marks Brussels’ most comprehensive effort to date to protect vital power and data networks beneath European waters.

The strategy highlights the importance of submarine cables, which transmit more than 99 per cent of intercontinental internet traffic and connect offshore renewable energy projects. Its four priorities of prevention, detection, response and repair, and deterrence aim to enhance Europe’s autonomy while reducing exposure to cyber and physical risks.

The heightened attention has placed major manufacturers under closer scrutiny, amid speculation about potential consolidation in the sector. Industry rumours of cooperation between global cable producers Nexans and Prysmian have circulated in recent months, though both groups said no merger or sale talks were under way. Regulators, however, are monitoring market behaviour that could affect competition or compliance with new EU rules.

"Europe’s approach is now pre-emptive, not reactive," said Anja Keller, a policy adviser on energy infrastructure at the European Council. "Rather than waiting for crises, Brussels is codifying the expectations for transparency, monitoring, and strategic autonomy in critical systems."

In December 2024, Italy’s competition authority launched an inquiry into alleged cartel activity in the low-voltage copper cable market involving several manufacturers, including Nexans and Prysmian. The probe has reinforced perceptions of tougher oversight across the broader cable industry.

For policymakers, the Cable Security Action Plan establishes a framework for aligning industrial policy with infrastructure protection. It encourages coordination among member states and private operators while promoting European-based production to reduce external reliance.

As Europe expands its offshore energy and data networks, the cable industry is entering a new phase of regulation where resilience, transparency, and trust underpin both market stability and security ambitions.