The government of Romania signed-off a bill which would prevent Huawei and other Chinese vendors partnering with the country on 5G networks, Reuters reported, the latest member in the European Union to follow the US in imposing curbs, accorded to Mobile World Live.
In an interview with the news publication, MP Pavel Popescu said ministers had approved the document, which is set to go through parliament next week.
If approved, it will prevent Huawei and its peers from any “partnership on 5G with the Romanian state”, though it is not clear how this will directly impact operators in the country.
The bill follows a pact signed with the US in August 2019 agreeing to a “careful, and complete evaluation of 5G vendors”.
As part of that memorandum of understanding, Romania said it would assess the corporate structure of vendors supplying 5G equipment, including whether they were subject to “control by a foreign government”, a thinly veiled reference to Chinese vendors the US argues are under the influence of the state.
Assuming the bill is approved by parliament, the move makes Romania one of the first European countries to side with the US in its global campaign to restrict the activities of Huawei and its peers, with Sweden and the UK among the countries already imposing 5G bans.
Huawei has emphasised its status as a private company and denied accusations its equipment constitutes a security risk on multiple occasions.
