European Industry Calls for EU 'Buy European' Initiative

Nearly 90 companies and industry associations from Europe have urged EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to commit to enhancing digital sovereignty within the continent. This call to action comes in response to increasing transatlantic developments that threaten Europe's technological independence.

The signatories, which include major players like Airbus, mid-sized firms such as Dassault and Ionos, as well as smaller entities like Nextcloud, stress the urgency of Europe taking charge to achieve technological independence across critical digital infrastructures. They express concerns that Europe's reliance on external technology poses significant risks to security and reliability, undermining both sovereignty and economic growth.

In their correspondence, the businesses warn that if Europe does not act decisively, it risks becoming almost entirely dependent on non-European technologies within the next decade. They emphasize that the EU must prioritize hardware autonomy, cloud solutions, and platforms, particularly those affecting cybersecurity. Moreover, they advocate for a coordinated procurement effort that would allow federated offerings to adhere to industrial standards, suggesting that interoperable open-source solutions should be at the forefront.

To bolster the 'Buy European' initiative, the industry representatives are calling for modifications to the EU Cloud Services Cybersecurity Certification Scheme. They propose establishing a 'High+' trust level that would enable the secure storage of sensitive data. This demand reflects a long-standing request from several of the organizations addressing von der Leyen, advocating for the operation of trusted EU providers alongside data localization and encryption measures. They believe this approach is essential for transitioning to reliable cloud solutions, potentially creating lucrative opportunities and safeguarding against overwhelming transatlantic competition.

Financing is another critical focus of their initiative. The EU, which manages billions in funding for research and strategic economic investments, is encouraged to establish a 'Sovereign Infrastructure Fund' to support capital-intensive public investments, such as quantum computing and semiconductor ecosystems. The industry representatives argue that the current EU funding plans require reevaluation, asserting that Europe cannot simply regulate its way out of the existing challenges.

While a spokesperson for the EU Commission acknowledged that procurement rules are currently under revision, she noted that it is premature to identify which sectors might be considered strategic and thus treated differently. The EU Commission is working on a legislative framework referred to as the 'Clean Industrial Deal,' which could potentially include quotas for European offerings regarding strategically important goods and services. This legislative initiative is expected to be presented alongside the 'Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act,' focused on climate-neutral products and services, by the end of 2025.