EU split over strict checks on foreign IT suppliers ahead of Parliament debate

Member states want to keep the decisions for themselves. MEPs debate cyber resilience and critical infrastructure on Wednesday at 15:00.

Brussels wants strict EU-wide checks on foreign IT suppliers it sees as risky.

Member states want to keep those decisions for themselves.

The fight reaches Parliament on Wednesday 11 November at 15:00, in a debate on cyber resilience and critical infrastructure.

In a report adopted on 16 September, MEPs warned of more hybrid attacks against the EU, with Russia and its proxies the main culprits. The same report, from September 2026, urged less reliance on foreign-controlled technology, naming US tech firms and Chinese hardware. It backed a 'buy European' strategy.

That fight now runs through the second Cybersecurity Act itself, according to reporting by Tagesspiegel Background. By November 2026, the Irish Council Presidency had tabled a compromise proposal. In it, Ireland wants to drop the rigid 36-month deadline for leaving 5G and switch to flexible deadlines.

MEPs also want the EU to strengthen its own toolbox for critical sectors.

In October, MEPs Sandro Gozi and Tomáš Zdechovský asked the Commission in writing to investigate how outages of Russian bot networks would affect Russian influence operations against European democracies.

Parliament plans two debates that touch on Russia and cyber security.

The Commission Work Programme 2027 is up for debate on Wednesday, the same day as the cyber resilience session.

On Thursday at 09:00, MEPs debate further sanctions against Russia over its attacks on Ukraine, and how to cut the money funding the war.