Europe’s subsea cable infrastructure, the backbone of its digital economy and energy transition, is facing mounting risks from geopolitical tension, climate impacts, and lack of preparedness. In a joint position statement, the
Europe’s subsea cable infrastructure, the backbone of its digital economy and energy transition, is facing mounting risks from geopolitical tension, climate impacts, and lack of preparedness. In a joint position statement, the European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA) and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) have warned that regulatory barriers, a shortage of skilled offshore workers and the lack of readily available solutions are compromising the continent’s ability to repair damaged cables.
The statement comes in response to the European Commission’s Cable Security Action Plan, which calls for improvements in prevention, detection, response, and deterrence to address threats to submarine cables. Industry leaders welcome the plan but caution that without direct collaboration between public bodies and the submarine cable industry, Europe may fall short of the resilience now urgently required.
Subsea telecommunications cables carry over 99 per cent of global intercontinental data traffic, with power cables increasing amounts of renewable power as well as sharing power between countries in Europe. Damage to this infrastructure, whether through accidental fishing, anchoring, natural hazards or other causes, can disrupt financial systems, energy flows, and digital communications in real-time. Yet, repair operations are increasingly subject to delays, not only due to capacity constraints but also to
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