In a program document, the European Commission stated that the project aims to reduce “the region’s dependence on terrestrial fiber optic communications through Russia”. The urgent need for the Black Sea Internet Cable, originally set by the EU and Georgia in 2021 to improve Georgia’s digital communications, has been exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

According to someone familiar with the suggestion, the goal is to avoid relying on “secure or unstable connections”.

Underwater internet cables are an extremely important part of infrastructure.

Internet cables have recently gained attention due to global espionage concerns and the vulnerability of the infrastructure used to transmit vital data. Landlines and stations where submarine cables land are considered vulnerable to hijacking by governments, hackers and criminals.

There is also a growing concern about deliberate sabotage of submarine cables and marine infrastructure. Incidents in which Russian ships were involved in multiple explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipeline last year and cables were cut off the Norwegian coast have raised concerns about malicious attacks.

Reinhard Butikofer, a member of the European Parliament and the head of the Chinese delegation to the European Parliament, stressed that Russia signals that it is ready to attack sensitive infrastructure facilities. Butikfer said:

From the Russian perspective, attacking infrastructure projects is an option if they want to harm the European Union for a regime that has absolutely no respect for international law.

About 99% of intercontinental Internet traffic, including data, messages, emails and video calls, is transmitted by more than 400 active submarine cables with a total length of 1.4 million kilometers. Data is also transmitted internationally via underground terrestrial cables.

Internet overtakes Russia

Russia serves as one of the buses between Asia and Europe and is an integral part of communication in certain regions of Asia and the Caucasus. This caused concern among politicians about over-dependence on Russia for communication. David Macalister, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the European Parliament, emphasized the importance of the Black Sea Cable as a “flagship project” and a regional priority for the EU.

McAlister noted that without Internet cables, important activities such as video conferencing, research collaboration and streaming services like Netflix would be severely disrupted.

However, questions remain regarding the feasibility and timing of the project, particularly including Russia’s military activities in the Black Sea, missile attacks against Ukraine, and the blockade of ports last year.

Russia is not the only country the European Union is interested in

Concerns about physical infrastructure are not limited to Russia, as China has also blocked projects for laying and maintaining submarine internet cables in the South China Sea. China’s actions are part of efforts to tighten control over critical infrastructure.

In response to China’s actions, many countries have become more active in protecting their territorial waters. Taiwanese authorities recently attributed the break in two internet cables connecting Taiwan’s main island to one of its smaller islands to Chinese fishing and cargo ships.

The Black Sea cable project is part of the European Commission’s Global Gateway initiative, which aims to offer developing countries an alternative to China’s Belt and Road and Digital Silk Road initiatives. The European Investment Bank offered a grant of 20 million Euros for the implementation of the Black Sea Cable project.