The European Commission will investigate the resilience of supermarkets across the continent to cyberattacks following disruptions to cooling systems at dozens of stores in at least six European Union countries this week.
The incidents will be discussed at a meeting of the Commission’s Security College, according to the EU’s agriculture and food commissioner, Christophe Hansen, according to Politico.
The assessment will examine retailers’ backup systems and their ability to respond swiftly to disruptions.
Although no date has been fixed for the meeting, cabinet chiefs agreed on Friday that it should be held soon, an EU official stated.
“Europe’s food supply chain must be prepared for new and evolving threats,” Hansen said. “The repeated cyberattacks on supermarkets are deeply concerning, causing economic losses for retailers and empty shelves for consumers.”
Established in March 2025 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Security College brings together all EU commissioners to address security threats facing the bloc.
The decision to bring the supermarket incidents before the body suggests the Commission is examining whether attacks on food supply chains could be part of a wider pattern of hybrid threats capable of disrupting essential services and undermining public confidence.
On Monday, cooling systems at supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Estonia and the Netherlands reportedly recorded temperatures of up to 50°C.
The affected retailers include Ahold Delhaize, Colruyt, Carrefour, ICA, Coop and SuperValu, alongside an IKEA store in Belgium.
