30 September 2026 09:51 UTC · European Commission · EU Commission Press Release · Source · Email X Link

European Commission Announces EU Critical Communication System Proposal

Key points

The European Commission proposes a common European critical communications system to ensure first responders can communicate seamlessly across borders.
The system integrates 5G technology, satellite back-ups, and two new monitoring and cybersecurity centers.

TL;DR

The European Commission proposes the EU Critical Communication System to connect first responders across member states.
The system aims to be seamless, secure, and sovereign by utilizing 5G broadband, EU satellites, and mobile communication assets.
Two new centers will be established to monitor the network and track cybersecurity risks.

Original text

European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Remarks by Commissioner Brunner at the press conference on the European Union Critical Communication System Brussels, 30 September 2026 Thank you, Henna. Today, we deliver on another proposal that makes our Union stronger . Step by step, we are delivering on our internal security strategy, ProtectEU . Today, we deliver another key proposal: the EU Critical Communication System. It connects those who protect us. Wherever there is a crisis, first responders need to have one basic thing: a line of communication . There are plenty of examples over the last years, where this was not possible. Take the High Venn fires from this summer : it was in the border region between Belgium and Germany , and the moment a first responder had to cross the border, their radio stopped working. That is why today's proposal matters: we are building a common European critical communications system . It will be seamless, secure and sovereign . What do I mean by SEAMLESS? Today's proposal does two things: First , it lets first responders share data, video and messages in real time, through a single device . As in the High Venn this summer, we see wildfires spread across our continent: in Spain, in France, in Greece, in Germany. We already have a system so that firefighters from different countries work together to stop the disaster. But they still have to look for ad-hoc solutions just to share their location. With the EUCCS, they share voice, video and position. On one device . Second , the systems are interconnected . In February last year, there was a shooting in the Netherlands, 200 meters from the Belgian border . An active police chase across the border started, where every minute counted. Yet the operational centre in Maastricht could not directly alert its colleagues in Liège, or the Belgian officers on the street. Cross-border police work is also where the new Europol mandate makes a difference, by supporting Member States. And the EUCCS gives the officers on the ground the communications to match . One device. One network. Every agency, every Member State , connected. The system will be SECURE. A communication system is only as good as its worst day, when everything else is failing. As Henna mentioned, the EUCCS uses new broadband technology such as 5G, with EU satellites providing back-up where mobile communications are down. Think of the blackout in Spain and Portugal last year. The lights went out and the phones went dead at the same time. With the EUCCS, police and emergency services would have stayed connected, because the satellites take over when the ground networks fail. And we are planning to deploy mobile communications assets – cell towers on a truck, with their own generators – to disaster areas. Think back to Valencia in 2024 . The floods knocked out power and telecommunications, emergency alerts were delayed, and teams from France, Portugal and across Spain arrived with their own equipment, but no common procedures to connect it . With the EUCCS, this will change. And we will make sure that the new system is protected against attacks . We will establish two new centres : one to monitor the network , providing one central connection point instead of building many separate links, and one to track cyber security risks and other threats. Finally, the system will be SOVEREIGN. This system is built for Europe , by Europe . European companies and technology are building this network, strengthening our autonomy and resilience. And by setting one standard across our 27 Member States, it creates a genuine market . That's what sovereignty looks like in practice – not just protection, but creating a market, jobs and innovation in Europe. Seamless. Secure. And Sovereign . Connecting those who protect us. SPEECH/26/2025 <@rel_link@>

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