EU Plots To Abandon US Tech

Source: Slashdot

EU Moves to Counter US Tech Dominance

Ancient Slashdot reader whitroth shares a report from Politico, noting the caption: “shutting down Microsoft Office for the International Criminal Court (ICC) was clearly a wake‑up call.”

The European Commission unveiled a plan on Wednesday to reduce Europe’s reliance on foreign technology providers that underpin the modern economy. While it stresses that it is not picking a fight with U.S. digital giants, the tech‑sovereignty package is motivated in large part by concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s “weaponisation” of Europe’s dependence on American firms. The long‑term goal is to boost European players so they can eventually challenge their U.S. rivals.

Industrial Strategy and Tech Sovereignty

• The EU will direct public money toward products that contribute to Europe’s economy and independence from foreign firms.
• Red tape will be cut for data‑center construction and operation.
• Research and innovation will be beefed up through “leadership initiatives.”
• Countries will be incentivised to share digital capacities in a new Eurocloud forum.
• EU governments must develop national strategies to accelerate adoption of cutting‑edge technologies, including AI.

Funding and Regulatory Measures

• The package seeks to ramp up demand for advanced chips, responding to industry criticism, via a series of industrial initiatives that will revise the 2023 chips law.

Sovereignty Risk Assessment

• The Commission proposes a “sovereignty risk assessment” for every digital service used by EU governments, evaluating:

  • Foreign control
  • Potential access to sensitive data
  • Risk of operational disruption

• Within a year, each public sector must determine the appropriate protection level and procure digital services accordingly, unless doing so would entail a “disproportionate cost.”

• The Commission reserves the right to overrule national assessments in future legislation if it believes risks have been down‑played.

• The Commission estimates that only 1 % of Europe’s public services are so sensitive that they would be required to rely on the strictest certification level, which completely excludes foreign technology.

Statements from EU Leadership

“We cannot afford to depend on others for the technologies that keep our hospitals running, our energy grids stable and our services secure,”
— Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

“This is about protecting our citizens, defending our interests and making our own choices.”

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The above summary is based on the Politico report referenced by Slashdot.