The European Commission and the High Representative have launched the Joint Communication initiative to strengthen the security and resilience of subsea cables.

The High Representative is the chief representative of the EU’s foreign affairs and security policy; a post currently assumed by Kaja Kallas.

Announced by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Baltic Energy Independence Day, the initiative introduces a range of measures to protect critical subsea infrastructure.

Split into four parts – prevention, detection, response & recovery, and deterrence – the Joint Communication will support all EU member states by stepping up security, prioritizing smart cable funding, enhancing threat monitoring capabilities, improving crisis framework, increasing repair capacity, and enforcing sanctions against the shadow fleet.

Going forward, the Commission and the High Representative will map existing and planned subsea cables, carry out a coordinated risk assessment for the cables, create a “cable security toolbox,” and a priority list of cable projects of European interest by the end of this year.

“No realm of life is free from threats or hostile behavior today. Recent attacks against underwater cables underline this clearly. This is vital infrastructure that keeps us connected online and our energy flowing, not just between EU Member States but between Europe and many other regions across the world,” said Kaja Kallas, High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy/vice-president of the European Commission.

“Today we are taking steps to protect cables, detect and anticipate threats more quickly, and repair damage as fast as possible. We should mobilize all our strengths, military and civil capacities to ensure surveillance and attribute attacks quicker, sanctioning those responsible [for] sabotage. Would-be perpetrators must also be deterred. This is what we propose today.”

Cable damages in European waters have been rife in recent months. At the end of last year, the Estlink 2 subsea cable between Finland and Estonia was cut. Around the same time, three Internet cables connecting the two nations were cut, and a fourth fiber optic cable between Finland and Germany was also cut.

At the time, Russia was believed to be behind the cable cuts. Finnish Authorities even seized the Eagle S ship, carrying Russian oil, in late December under suspicion of being behind the cable cuts.

Shortly before that, in November, international investigators suspected a Chinese ship’s crew deliberately dragged an anchor to sever two subsea cables in the Baltic Sea.

However, in January, several US and European intelligence officials suggested that the cable damages were likely the result of maritime accidents, not Russian sabotage.

Nevertheless, the situation in the Baltic Sea prompted a response from NATO, which launched a new military program to strengthen subsea infrastructure in the region earlier this month.

Germany also partnered with Israeli defense firm Elta to deploy an underwater stealth drone – dubbed Blue Whale – to patrol the Baltic Sea in light of recent events.

Most recently, a cable connecting Latvia to Sweden’s Gotland Island was damaged in the Baltic Sea. The Latvian government suggested the cable was damaged due to external factors, with the Swedish Coast Guard detaining a vessel named Vezhen.

The European Commission is the European Union’s executive body, responsible for new laws, budget, and representation of the union.