In brief
On Monday, supermarkets across seven EU countries experienced refrigeration failures after a cyberattack, forcing food spoilage and loss. The European Commission said the incidents were part of a broader pattern, reviewed by national authorities, and suggested no attribution yet. Coordination meetings will aim to share info and strengthen resilience.
Supermarket refrigeration systems in Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and Finland stopped functioning on Monday after a cyberattack forced retailers to discard spoiled produce.
The failures affected dozens of stores across the seven countries, sending food supplies to waste and raising concerns about food safety and supply‑chain reliability.
The European Commission confirmed that the attacks were not isolated incidents, and that national investigations remain in progress.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told a midday press briefing that the commission was in direct contact with member states and relevant national authorities, and had convened two coordination meetings on Tuesday morning.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said:
“I would be extremely careful when it comes to attributions. It's not for us to do for now,” Regnier said when asked about possible foreign involvement.
EU coordinates response
The first meeting featured an EU interinstitutional task force, Europol, and several Commission departments, while the second convened national authorities from the affected states through the European Cyber Crisis Liaison Organisation Network.
The priority in both sessions was to exchange information about the incidents and to determine the best collective response, Regnier said, emphasising the need for shared resilience.
Retailers in impacted countries had to throw away tens of thousands of kilograms of perishable goods, incurring financial losses and unsettling shoppers who were already anxious about food prices.
The Commission stressed that the disruptions demonstrated how cyberattacks could threaten essential services and daily life, and urged EU governments to strengthen cybersecurity measures.
Investigations at national levels are ongoing, and it is too early to attribute responsibility, the commission said, warning against premature conclusions.
European leaders have called for a joint strategy to improve preparedness and response capabilities across the bloc, as the incidents underscore the global nature of modern cyber threats.
