The European Commission has taken a significant step toward strengthening the European Union’s digital sovereignty, awarding a major cloud services tender worth up to
€180 million over the next six years. The initiative will enable EU institutions and agencies to procure cloud infrastructure that aligns with strict European standards on security, control, and legal compliance.
Four European providers have secured contracts under the framework: Post Telecom (partnering with CleverCloud and OVHcloud), StackIT, Scaleway, and Proximus, which collaborates with S3NS—a joint venture involving Thales and Google Cloud—alongside Clarence and Mistral.
The move is part of a broader EU strategy to reduce reliance on non-European technology providers and ensure greater control over critical digital infrastructure. Digital sovereignty has become a central policy priority for the bloc, particularly as concerns grow over data protection, geopolitical dependencies, and the dominance of global tech giants.
The selected providers were evaluated against the Commission’s Cloud Sovereignty Framework, which defines sovereignty across eight key dimensions. These include legal jurisdiction, operational control, cybersecurity, environmental sustainability, and supply chain transparency. Importantly, providers had to demonstrate that non-EU actors exert limited influence over their services and underlying technologies.
By awarding multiple contracts simultaneously, the Commission aims to foster resilience and avoid dependence on a single vendor. This diversification strategy is designed to strengthen the EU’s technological autonomy while maintaining competitive innovation within the market.
The tender also reflects a pragmatic approach to sovereignty. While prioritising European providers, it acknowledges that non-European technologies can still play a role—provided they operate within strict governance structures that meet EU requirements.
Beyond procurement, the initiative signals a shift in how the EU defines and operationalises digital sovereignty. Rather than complete technological isolation, the focus is on ensuring strategic control, regulatory oversight, and alignment with European values such as privacy, transparency, and fair competition.
Looking ahead, the Commission is preparing an updated version of its Cloud Sovereignty Framework, which will introduce more detailed criteria for assessing sovereignty. This is expected to serve as a model for other public sector bodies across the EU.
At the same time, work is underway on a broader “Tech Sovereignty” package. This will include an updated Open Source Strategy, a potential Chips Act 2, a roadmap for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector, and the upcoming Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA). The latter aims to harmonise rules across the single market, making it easier for European cloud and AI providers to scale and compete.
Together, these efforts underscore the EU’s ambition to assert greater control over its digital future—balancing openness with strategic autonomy in an increasingly competitive global tech landscape. Photo by W.Rebel, Wikimedia commons.