Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced the general availability of a European Sovereign Cloud, a new service designed exclusively for Europe and operating entirely within the European Union.
The initiative, launched in Germany, aims to offer governments and European businesses a secure option for hosting sensitive data with enhanced guarantees.
AWS plans to expand this infrastructure beyond Germany. The first phase of expansion will introduce new Local Zones in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal, enabling clients to store data closer to home and improve processing speeds.
Digital sovereignty has become a pressing issue in Europe, especially in recent years, due to concerns over potential access to data by foreign authorities, including those in the US and China.
General Manager of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, Stéphane Israël, emphasised the importance of this development for Europe, stating that robust cloud and artificial intelligence technologies are critical for accelerating client growth and innovation.
Belgium’s Employment and Economy Minister, David Clarinval (MR), welcomed the investment in European digital infrastructure.
He highlighted how local organisations will benefit from increased flexibility in storing and processing data, helping to boost their competitiveness and contribute to the growth of the digital economy.
Key launch partners include companies such as Accenture, Capgemini, Deloitte, and SAP, among others.
AWS encourages clients from regulated sectors such as administration, healthcare, finance, defence, energy, and telecommunications to adopt its European Sovereign Cloud to drive digital transformation while maintaining strict compliance and data sovereignty requirements.
