{"id":3313,"date":"2026-03-31T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/31\/how-europe-is-dealing-with-digital-dependency\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T22:51:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:51:42","slug":"how-europe-is-dealing-with-digital-dependency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/31\/how-europe-is-dealing-with-digital-dependency\/","title":{"rendered":"How Europe is dealing with digital dependency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-12645041-9f04-4f00-a2fc-2932c7977aa4\">Until recently, digital sovereignty was not high on the European political or regulatory agenda. Yes, it was considered an important issue, but five years ago it had nothing like the profile or sense of urgency we see today.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the momentum for the creation of cloud infrastructure in the EU is growing rapidly, as November&#8217;s Franco-German summit is the latest attempt to &#8220;develop the key elements of an independent, secure and innovation-friendly digital future in Europe.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-person-RNq8ZCu42a3f5D2JpEAPpF-osrqcHd6i6kxGD4HvbZgRQjvSoe5n8hI\" class=\"slice-container person-wrapper person-RNq8ZCu42a3f5D2JpEAPpF-osrqcHd6i6kxGD4HvbZgRQjvSoe5n8hI slice-container-person\">\n<div class=\"person person--separator\">\n<div class=\"person__heading\">\n<div class=\"person__name-socials\"><span class=\"person__name\">Mark Dando<\/span><\/p>\n<nav class=\"button-social-group person__social-buttons\" aria-labelledby=\"button-social-group- person__social-buttons\">\n<p>Navigating Social Links<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"button-social__icon button-social__icon-website\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-website\" viewbox=\"0 0 1000 1000\"><path d=\"M1000 500A501 501 0 0 0 503 0h-6A501 501 0 0 0 0 500c0 275 223 499 498 500h4a501 501 0 0 0 498-500zM529 936V765h133c-31 90-79 154-133 171zM337 765h134v171c-54-17-101-81-134-171zM61 539h176a899 899 0 0 0 22 167H110a439 439 0 0 1-49-166zM471 64v191H331c31-101 82-173 140-191zm199 191H529V64c58 18 109 90 140 191zm270 226H763c-1-59-7-115-18-167h155a438 438 0 0 1 40 167zm-235 0H529V314h156a857 857 0 0 1 19 167zM471 314v167H296a859 859 0 0 1 19-167h156zM237 481H60a438 438 0 0 1 41-167h154a921 921 0 0 0-18 167zm59 58h175v167H320a837 837 0 0 1-24-166zm233 167V539h175a831 831 0 0 1-24 167H529zm234-166h176a436 436 0 0 1-49 166H741a893 893 0 0 0 22-166zm104-285H731c-20-68-47-126-81-169a443 443 0 0 1 217 169zM350 86c-33 43-61 101-81 169H133A443 443 0 0 1 350 86zM148 765h127c20 59 45 110 75 150a442 442 0 0 1-202-150zm502 150c30-39 56-91 75-150h127a442 442 0 0 1-202 150z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"person__role\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"person__bio\">\n<p>General Manager of EMEA North at SUSE.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-e50c95c3-6c20-405f-a802-447973db5bca-0\">At the same time, European stakeholders in all public and private sectors are reassessing their dependence on foreign suppliers, especially US hyperscalers, and the long-term consequences for security, governance and competition.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">The article continues below <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"inline-block w-2.5 h-2.5 ml-2\" fill=\"currentColor\" preserveaspectratio=\"xMidYMid meet\" viewbox=\"0 0 1000 1000\"><path d=\"M1000 100L500 900 0 100h1000z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            You might like it<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The underlying issues have become so pressing that the continent now faces a critical moment in deciding how it wants to manage and govern its digital future.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-current-situation-3\">Current situation<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-b76bd222-5d8b-4df0-a212-0ef0b3fe41d9\">How did we get to this point? European organizations have spent years relying on large non-EU technology suppliers. To some extent, this is understandable.<\/p>\n<p>The likes of AWS, Microsoft and Google have compelling infrastructure propositions that have revolutionized the cloud industry and delivered huge benefits to customers wherever they are.<\/p>\n<p>What many European customers did was to assume that local hosting, contract protection and regional compliance measures were sufficient to meet sovereign requirements.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-RNq8ZCu42a3f5D2JpEAPpF\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-RNq8ZCu42a3f5D2JpEAPpF slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Sign up for the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, ideas, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>That view was undermined when Microsoft confirmed to the French Senate earlier this year that data stored within the EU could still fall under foreign jurisdiction, calling into question the residency model many had trusted.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, US legal mandates such as the CLOUD Act can, in fact, cross geographic boundaries, raising concerns about how much control European organizations actually retain.<\/p>\n<p>Adding to the problem is that the way organizations manage their data and use cloud services has also changed. Business environments are now more diverse than ever, with unstructured data now dominating and spreading across clouds, applications and environments in ways that are difficult to track.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            What you can read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Mixed and multi-cloud adoption has accelerated these difficulties, reducing visibility into where data resides and which legal entities govern it.<\/p>\n<p>The result is that digital sovereignty has evolved from a conceptual vision to a practical and strategic concern. Organizations can no longer kick the can down the road.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"building-for-the-future-3\">Building the future<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-5f4835df-7ba9-4d66-806f-8b278eb5d59d\">Clearly, the current position is unsustainable. According to the 2025 industry report, AWS, Azure and Google Cloud together hold about 70% of the European infrastructure cloud market, while all European-headquartered cloud providers account for about 15%.<\/p>\n<p>From a sovereign perspective, Europe needs digital solutions that are both localized and scalable, rather than niche or limited acquisition offerings. Suppliers operating in Europe are expected to create technologies that compete with the rest of the world while still meeting sovereign expectations.<\/p>\n<p>However, this is not just a matter of opening up infrastructure investment. Sovereignty cannot be achieved in isolation; collaboration across the European technology ecosystem is essential, including partnerships between organizations that may not have traditionally worked together.<\/p>\n<p>Our recent partnership with evroc, is a good example, as we join forces to deliver a secure European cloud infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>For example, customers need better visibility of the European options available to them, as many remain unaware of the strength and maturity of domestic solutions.<\/p>\n<p>Sovereignty also requires the ability to evaluate suppliers in an objective manner, using clear criteria that reflect sovereign control, transparency of the supply chain and operational independence.<\/p>\n<p>On a practical level, the EU Cloud Sovereignty Framework serves as an important reference point, providing organizations with a systematic way to assess levels of sovereignty and make informed decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, this will also help create a level playing field in cloud procurement, ensuring that the right European providers are considered rather than automatically ignored.<\/p>\n<p>Looking forward, maintaining positive momentum will be important. Without the emergence of new cloud infrastructure, organizations cannot achieve meaningful sovereignty unless they maintain reliable control over their data.<\/p>\n<p>The main challenge is not only where the data is stored but how organizations can control how it is used, how it is transmitted and how it is accessed in different places.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, it is important to use tools and processes that allow them to implement policies such as occupancy, access controls and maintenance rules in an accurate and verifiable manner.<\/p>\n<p>This approach places more sovereignty in the field of governance and ongoing operational disciplines such as infrastructure investment or regulatory changes. In the coming years, Europe&#8217;s ability to strengthen sovereignty will depend on whether organizations can ensure control over their data throughout its lifecycle, not just at the end.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-200edc0e-e9e0-492c-acff-d41524000f69\"><em\/><em>We&#8217;ve featured the best business cloud storage.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-159d271a-d1c0-4ec4-b69b-b54c2432e658\"><em>This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro&#8217;s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the tech industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you would like to contribute find out more here: <\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Until recently, digital sovereignty was not high on the European political or regulatory agenda. Yes, it was considered an important issue, but five years ago it had nothing like the profile or sense of urgency we see today. Indeed, the momentum for the creation of cloud infrastructure in the EU is growing rapidly, as November&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-smart-home-gadgets"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3313"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3315,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3313\/revisions\/3315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}