The European Commission’s (EC) ongoing push to reduce its reliance on US tech firms is entering a new stage, according to a draft document seen by the Financial Times.
The draft European tech sovereignty strategy says the bloc must “reclaim its place in the global race for geoeconomic power” at a “defining moment to assert its technological sovereignty”, the paper reported.
The paper, set to be published next week, includes incentives to accelerate the construction of European data centres and favour bloc-developed cloud and AI technologies.
The core of the strategy is a Cloud and AI Development Act, which is aimed at simplifying and harmonising procedures for data centres in order to triple EU capacity over the next five to seven years, according to the FT.
It also aims to encourage the development of “sovereign” cloud and AI, requiring European governments to carry out “sovereignty risk assessments” in order to improve resilience and identify European alternatives.
To avoid what the document calls “sovereignty-washing”, where foreign companies remain the main driver behind European tech services, the Commission will define four levels of cloud sovereignty, according to the paper. These rankings will be linked to criteria including who controls the service, supply chain and the processing of data for AI models.
In addition, the EC is planning to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing through a second iteration of its chip law as it seeks to reduce reliance on the likes of Nvidia.
The strategy follows previous efforts to increase EU tech sovereignty, including its Apply AI Strategy, which encourages an AI first policy in which the technology is considered a as a potential solution whenever organisations make strategic and policy decision. It also promotes a “buy European” approach, particularly for the public sector, according to the Commission’s website.
National Technology News has reached out to the EC for comment.
