Appeal for maintaining sovereignty in the European cloud

In a scenario of growing concerns about cybersecurity in cloud services, 18 major industry players, including TIM and Aruba, have raised the issue of the revision of the EUCS certification scheme, currently under discussion in Brussels. Through an open letter, they ask the Member States of the European Union to carefully weigh the consequences of the possible omission of the criteria related to digital sovereignty from the heart of the EUCS scheme, underlining how critical it is to preserve European independence in a period of geopolitical uncertainty.

The controversy over the revision of the EUCS certification

Recently, a preliminary version of the EUCS framework for cloud service providers raised concerns due to the absence of mandatory cybersecurity requirements specific to foreign providers, such as AWS, Google and Microsoft. These requirements would have guaranteed autonomy from non-EU legislation, protecting privacy according to EU regulations and preventing the improper use of sensitive data by foreign governments. The lack of these elements undermines the EU's efforts to promote digital sovereignty, aligning with the Gaia-X project.

Risks and consequences of a weakened EUCS certification

Removing sovereignty principles from the EUCS, or transferring them to less central documents such as the ICPA, risks further fragmenting the European cloud market, exposing organisations' sensitive data to potential unauthorized access. Such a change would contradict the objectives pursued so far with EUCS, calling into question the compatibility with other EU data protection measures, such as the GDPR and the Data Act. Furthermore, it would undermine the ability of European providers to compete by offering cloud solutions independently sovereign.

The call to action to safeguard the future of the EU cloud

Faced with these developments, the signatory companies urge a decisive reaction from the Member States to maintain the sovereignty requirements within the EUCS scheme. They underline that only by ensuring a clear framework consistent with the needs of data independence and protection will digital Europe thrive. Access to cutting-edge cloud solutions, while respecting European peculiarities, represents a vital balance for the development of a sovereign and secure digital infrastructure.