Renew Europe has welcomed the European Commission’s new EU Critical Communication System, presented as a key step towards strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy through advanced and resilient digital infrastructure for emergency response.
Whether it is a forest fire, a terrorist attack or drones targeting critical infrastructure, every second counts. And when emergencies do not stop at national borders, the response cannot either.
As the proposal now moves to the European Parliament, Renew Europe will work to ensure the new EU-wide system allows firefighters, emergency medical services and civil protection teams to share critical information faster and more securely.
It should also ensure that citizens can receive emergency communications when they need them, both at national and European level. The system is also an opportunity to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy by ensuring that its critical components are developed and provided by European companies.
The European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the Digital Networks Act, Michał Kobosko MEP (Polska 2050, PL), says:
"With so many hybrid threats, this is a very difficult and challenging moment for Europe. Secure and stable connectivity of critical communication between those who save lives is absolutely crucial. With the system’s critical components based in European companies, our strategic autonomy will be reinforced. Therefore, this Commission project should be considered extremely important and very timely.
As Parliament’s Rapporteur of the Digital Networks Act, I see also a lot of improvements needed as to access to emergency services by EU citizens. Combines, both proposals can make EU safer."
The challenge now is to turn that ambition into a system that works across borders, keeps critical communications secure and helps Europeans get the help they need, wherever an emergency strikes.