What is Digital Sovereignty?
For a technology to be EU-sovereign it must be:
Owned, operated, and controlled by entities headquartered, operated and governed exclusively within EU member states.
Hosted entirely within EU jurisdictions, ensuring all data storage, processing, and management takes place within EU borders.
Developed and maintained without dependence on entities subject to foreign laws that may compel disclosure of data.
Compliant with EU data protection laws, especially GDPR and EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, safeguarding privacy and data sovereignty.
Designed to ensure that no technical, legal, or contractual mechanism exists that allow foreign governments or 3rd parties to access or control EU citizen, business, or government data.
Securing Europe’s Digital Future
The Imperative for EU Sovereign Information Technology
EU sovereign digital information technology refers to digital infrastructure, platforms, hardware, software, and services that are owned, operated, and regulated entirely within the European Union, without reliance on or control by external jurisdictions.
EU sovereign digital information technology is designed and governed in compliance with EU legal frameworks—particularly those safeguarding data protection and privacy—ensuring that neither foreign governments nor non-EU entities can lawfully or unlawfully access, manipulate, or intercept the data of EU citizens, businesses, or public institutions. These frameworks support the EU’s strategic autonomy by shielding European digital assets from external political or legal interference.
Furthermore, even if a digital technology provider is headquartered in the EU, any operations conducted in non-EU jurisdictions—particularly those with legislation permitting invasive surveillance or mandatory data access—subject the provider to those foreign laws (e.g., the U.S. CLOUD Act, Chinese National Intelligence Law, etc.).
This includes nations such as the United States, Russia, or China, where local regulations can compel companies to disclose or monitor data, effectively undermining EU sovereignty. As a result, for a technology to be genuinely EU sovereign, it must have no operations, infrastructure, or legal presence in states whose laws permit them to circumvent EU data protections, thereby ensuring exclusive adherence to EU standards and legal oversight.