EU countries must take urgent action to diversify their suppliers for 5G networks, the European Commission said.

Last November, the EU agreed to take a tough line on 5G providers to mitigate cybersecurity risks for next-generation mobile networks, which are seen as key to accelerating economic growth and competitiveness, Reuters reported.

The strategy included reducing the dependence of countries and telecom operators on a single supplier.

“Challenges have been identified in designing and imposing appropriate multi-vendor strategies for individual MNOs (mobile network operator) or at national level due to technical or operational difficulties,” it said, citing the lack of interoperability or the size of the country as some of the problems.

The Commission also called on the 13 EU member states to urgently implement the foreign direct investments screening mechanism without delay, a tool that allows EU governments to intervene in cases of foreign direct investment in strategic assets, especially when it comes to government-controlled or government-funded enterprises.