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An investment gap of 11 billion euros
The Member States acknowledged that the public cloud infrastructure is currently converging around four large non-European players. This jeopardises users’ ability to maintain control over strategic and sensitive personal and non-personal data. They note that “Europe is facing a great investment gap for cloud, estimated at 11 billion euros annually”.
EU funding could reach up to 10 billion euros
The European Commission is determined to narrow the gap and could invest up to 10 billion euros in cloud. Funding would be drawn from Digital Europe, Connecting Europe Facility 2, InvestEU, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. National public and private funding will also be encouraged.
The objective is to stimulate the emergence of a “resilient and competitive European supply” in the field, covering all architecture levels and encompassing the edge.
Moreover, the 25 Member States will work with the Commission to deliver options for a European cloud federation initiative, together with an ambitious investment plan. The initiative will aim to interconnect data processing and storage infrastructures across the EU territory, “leading to the next generation of European cloud and edge services”.
Ultimately, the EU should become a worldwide data hub, an attractive place for data storage and processing activities.
A new European Alliance for Industrial Data and Cloud
By the end of the year, a European Alliance on Industrial Data and Cloud will be launched. It will gather interested Member States, industries and relevant experts. Those parties will work together to design the detailed business, investment and implementation plan for this next generation cloud. It will be the driving force of the European cloud federation initiative.
Trustworthy, secure and energy-efficient cloud
A set of norms will be defined by the Commission and the Member States. Such common norms will be a pre-requisite for participation in the European cloud federation. This will include technical standards, codes of conduct and certifications. “Cloud providers participating in European cloud federation should guarantee European standards in terms of security, data protection, consumer protection, data portability and energy efficiency and contribute to European digital sovereignty […]”.
The declaration further adds that all cloud providers are welcome in European cloud federation, but the resulting cloud capacities should not be subject to laws of foreign jurisdictions.
The signatories underline the need to develop EU common requirements and standards for cloud procurement in the public sector.
International players welcomed into the future federation?
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said today [15 October] that when Gaia-X becomes operational, “it will be possible for American or Indian or Chinese companies to offer services, where Gaia-X standards are guaranteed”. In the declaration on the next generation cloud, Gaia-X is mentioned as a leading example of a public-private initiative aiming at a broad European scope.
It remains to be seen how international players will be integrated in the future European cloud federation.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Camille Dornier - Policy Manager: camille.dornier@eurosmart.com
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