The European Commission has unveiled a sweeping package of measures aimed at reducing Europe's dependence on foreign technology and strengthening its capacity in areas such as AI, semiconductors, cloud computing and open-source software.
The "European Technological Sovereignty Package", presented on Wednesday, seeks to bolster the EU's strategic autonomy as demand for digital infrastructure surges amid the rapid expansion of AI technologies.
According to the Commission, EU countries currently spend around €264 billion each year on digital products and services from outside the bloc, while remaining heavily reliant on suppliers from the US and China.
"We can no longer afford to depend on others for the technologies that keep our hospitals running, our energy networks stable, and our services secure," said Ursula von der Leyen.
The package includes a long-awaited update to the EU's Chips Act, first introduced in 2023 following supply chain disruptions exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the proposed "Chips Act 2.0", the Commission wants to strengthen the entire European semiconductor value chain, with a particular focus on AI-related components.
The EU currently produces less than 10% of the world's semiconductors, while the Commission estimates that by 2030 around 70% of the market will be linked to AI applications.
The legislation would shift attention away from manufacturing alone and towards boosting demand for chips designed and produced in Europe, supporting strategic projects and improving preparedness for future supply shortages.
The Commission also wants to triple the EU's data centre capacity for cloud services and AI over the next five to seven years through a proposed Cloud and AI Development Act.
"We want to bring developers and users together, particularly in the automotive, defence, telecoms, cloud and data sectors," said Henna Virkkunen.
Member States would be required to designate special zones for cloud infrastructure projects, while new security classifications would assess cloud services based on the risk of foreign interference.
The package also introduces a new "European added value" criterion for public procurement, rewarding companies, including those based outside the EU, that invest in research and development and create jobs within Europe.
Belgian Digitalisation Minister Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés) welcomed the initiative, arguing that AI, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure and quantum technologies are now matters of sovereignty, security and democratic resilience rather than purely economic issues.
Several Belgian politicians also praised the proposals, while warning that technological sovereignty should not be confused with isolationism and stressing the need for greater transparency regarding the environmental impact of energy-intensive data centres.
