The EU considers the use of four technologies as weapons of war

The European Commission will examine the risk posed by the use of four critical technologies as weapons of war, among them semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The bloc will assess the use of technology by countries that do not share the same values ??and take measures next year to address the issue, an EU official said on Monday.

The move is part of the European Union's economic security strategy, announced in June, and echoes similar measures taken by the United States, Australia and other countries in the face of concerns over China's posture.

The other two critical technologies on the EU's list are quantum technology and biotechnology, such as vaccines and genome sequencing.

"The Commission and other member states will examine the risks posed by the use of these four technologies. The deadline is until the end of the year. The next step is to mitigate risks next year,"  the official told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity.

Among the possible measures could be export control and partnership with allies who share the same values.

The European Union has been trying in recent years to reduce dependence on China and other countries for key products, after supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. which caused an energy crisis for the bloc./VOA