Brussels: The European Commission is enhancing the security of submarine telecommunications cables by promoting Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs), with Cyprus playing a crucial role in both the Eastern Mediterranean-Black Sea region and the Trans-Mediterranean corridor. The Commission has amended the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital Work Programme, allocating £347 million to projects aimed at boosting the security and resilience of submarine data cable infrastructures.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Cyprus is central to European planning for submarine cable infrastructures in both the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea (Priority Area 6) and the Trans-Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean corridor (Priority Area 7). Within Priority Area 6, the EU Expert Group recommends deploying a new submarine cable connecting Cyprus to mainland Greece and Trkiye, extending to Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine through the Black Sea via a 'festoon' network. A 'festoon' system refers to a submarine cable that runs along the coastline, connecting multiple landing points sequentially.
The report highlights that existing and planned projects do not fully address the need for integrated routes connecting Cyprus, Greece, Trkiye, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and the South Caucasus. The growth in data demand necessitates new cable systems that adhere to EU cyber-security standards. The estimated cost for deploying two new submarine cables under Priority Area 6 is £334 million.
For Priority Area 7, an alternative route towards Asia is essential, outside existing maritime corridors. The report notes that cables in the Red Sea are heavily utilised, and additional submarine cables would enhance resilience, particularly if they form a ring around the Arabian Peninsula. The limited infrastructure in the Mediterranean, such as the Jonah cable, which connects EU Member States in the Mediterranean to Israel, increases the risk of disruption from cable damage or geopolitical instability.
The Expert Group recommends a new route explicitly involving Cyprus, through cable 7a, extending from mainland Europe (France, Italy), landing in Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, and Egypt, and crossing to the Arabian Sea. This would provide an alternative route to the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, connecting Europe with India, Singapore, and Malaysia, while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The estimated cost for deploying additional cable capacity in Priority Area 7 is £1.287 billion.
The report emphasizes that, despite many existing and planned projects, strategic vulnerability remains, as these initiatives largely follow existing corridors and do not fully mitigate the strategic vulnerability of concentrated traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea routes.
At a broader level, the CPEI list encompasses 13 priority areas and anticipates three five-year funding phases, up to 2040, for projects aimed at strengthening the resilience of submarine cable infrastructures. These projects will be prioritized in upcoming CEF Digital calls for proposals and will inform planning for potential funding under the EU's next Multiannual Financial Framework.
The new Cable Security Toolbox includes six strategic measures and four technical and support measures to bolster the security of submarine cable infrastructures. It is based on the EU risk assessment completed in October 2025, which identified threat scenarios, vulnerabilities, and dependencies. The toolbox, risk assessment, and CPEI list were developed by the European Commission and Member States through a dedicated Submarine Cable Expert Group.