EU’s Cloud Battle: Digital Ministers Resist New “Sovereign Cloud” Rules

A debate raging across the Council of the European Union has reignited after some digital ministers voiced opposition to a proposed definition of “sovereign cloud” that could effectively bar leading U.S. cloud-service providers from offering services in the bloc. 

Countries such as Czechia, Finland, Luxembourg and Greece argued that an overly rigid definition, one focused solely on “European-based providers” — might hurt business operations, stifle cross-border collaboration, and limit access to advanced cloud technologies.

Critics of the so-called “sovereign cloud” push say that although ambitions for digital autonomy are understandable, overly restrictive rules could backfire — reinforcing dependence on a small set of global “hyperscalers,” curbing innovation, and undermining Europe's competitiveness in cloud and AI infrastructure. A related tender from the European Commission to stimulate European cloud providers underscores that Brussels aims to develop an alternative cloud ecosystem — but whether this will birth a thriving local market or simply reshape dependencies remains uncertain.

Read More - https://www.euractiv.com/news/eu-digital-ministers-push-against-cloud-sovereignty-definition-that-would-block-us/

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