Working Together to Protect Critical Maritime Infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific

The security of critical maritime infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific is essential to the European Union (EU) and its partner countries. From submarine cables to pipelines, wind farms, liquefied natural gas (LNG) platforms to harbour infrastructure, the global economy is dependent on these interlinked networks which are exposed to multiple threats in a context of rising geopolitical tensions. 

Incidents affecting cables in the Baltic Sea, the Red Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea underscore the growing vulnerabilities of this infrastructure, including to hybrid threats and covert interference. These attacks often blur the lines between civilian and military domains while the undersea environment makes the identification of the perpetrators and, therefore, the attribution and accountability more difficult. 

By damaging the integrity of the maritime infrastructure, essential functions and services can be interrupted, affecting the daily lives of citizens both in the EU and the Indo-Pacific. For island states in Europe — like in the Indo-Pacific — digital connectivity by submarine cables is an essential pre-condition to connect to the global economy. 

Disrupting global connectivity also has a direct impact on the security and sustainability of supply chains, as well as transport resilience, and thus on economic security. Safe critical maritime infrastructure is therefore a pre-condition to economic security and prosperity in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. 

The protection of this infrastructure calls for a concerted and coordinated effort between European and Indo-Pacific partners which emanates from a common understanding of the existing threats, widely sharing best practices on appropriate responses, and joining forces to strengthen the corresponding international legal framework. 

EU leadership in action

This is why Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy & Vice-President of the Commission of the European Union, has convened a ministerial meeting dedicated to the protection of critical maritime infrastructure on 21 November 2025 in Brussels, as part of the 4th EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.

The meeting brings together ministers, senior officials and experts from both regions to deepen policy dialogue and foster stronger operational cooperation. The high-level activity is supported by the collaborative security and defence project ESIWA+ (Enhancing the EU’s Security Cooperation In and With Asia and the Indo-Pacific), which is co-funded by the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), Germany and France.

In support of its Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the EUseeks to promote and protect an open and rules-based regional security environment in accordance with the legal framework established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Through its 2023 Maritime Security Strategy and Action Plan, as well as the 2025 EU Action Plan on Cable Security and the 2024 Cables Recommendation, the EU has taken concrete steps to address risks posed to maritime infrastructure in general, and critical submarine communication and energy cables in particular. 

The EU is fostering cooperation with its partners in the Indo-Pacific on the protection of critical maritime infrastructure — including in the framework of ongoing security and defence dialogues and consultations. Through several peer-to-peer exchanges and activities in the Indo-Pacific region supported by ESIWA+, the EU also continues to raise awareness and facilitate expert-level discussions on this issue.