BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union is preparing more rigid rules that would require member states to remove Chinese-made equipment from parts of their critical infrastructure, a move that would go beyond current voluntary restrictions, the Financial Times reported on January 17.

Under the proposal, companies such as Huawei and ZTE would be barred from supplying equipment to telecom networks and solar energy systems across the bloc, the newspaper said, citing unidentified officials.

At present, the EU operates a voluntary framework that allows countries to restrict so-called high-risk vendors. However, the bloc's upcoming cybersecurity proposal is expected to make such measures mandatory for all member states, according to the report.

Some telecom operators in large EU markets, including Spain and Germany, have previously resisted implementing strict limits on Chinese suppliers.

The proposal is due to be presented on January 20, the Financial Times said.

Any phase-out would be staggered, with timelines determined by the level of risk to the EU and the sector involved. Costs and the availability of alternative suppliers would also be taken into account, the report added.

The report could not immediately be verified. The European Commission, China's commerce ministry, Huawei, and ZTE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Huawei has been reassessing the future of a newly completed manufacturing plant in eastern France, Reuters reported in December, as some European governments harden their stance on the use of Chinese technology and the region's rollout of 5G networks remains slow.

The move would align the EU more closely with the United States, which banned approvals of new telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE in 2022 and has urged European allies to adopt similar measures.