The EU Commission is apparently planning to move its cloud services from Microsoft Azure to a European provider such as OVHcloud. According to a report by Euractiv, talks with OVHcloud, the largest European cloud service provider, have been underway for weeks. The reason? The EU wants to strengthen its digital sovereignty and gain more control over its data and infrastructure.

This project is part of a larger strategy that has been supported by the EuroStack initiative for several months now. The aim is to invest billions in shared IT platforms, data rooms and coordinated strategies. A "Europe first" mandate is to be established in order to reduce dependence on non-European providers.

Wake-up call through international sanctions

A recent trigger for the EU Commission's deliberations is the case of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan. Due to US sanctions, he was disconnected from his Microsoft-based email account. This incident has underlined the urgency of placing control of the digital infrastructure in European hands.

OVHcloud confirms negotiations

OVHcloud has confirmed talks with the Commission and other institutions. A spokesperson for the company told Euractiv: "Talks are indeed taking place, both with the Commission and with other public and private institutions and organizations that are evaluating projects to migrate to a sovereign cloud." The EU Commission has already signed an initial contract with OVHcloud, but whether it will actually move away from Microsoft Azure remains to be seen.

In addition to OVHcloud, other European providers such as Ionos from Germany, Scaleway from France and Aruba from Italy are also being considered as alternatives. The consolidation of the Commission's digital departments under Henna Virkkunen, Vice-President responsible for technological sovereignty, has apparently facilitated this process.

Data protection as a driving force

Another reason for the EU Commission's deliberations is pressure from the EU Data Protection Commissioner Wojciech Wiewiórowski. In 2024, he found that the use of the cloud-based MS 365 violates several data protection regulations for EU institutions. The Data Protection Commissioner has called on the Commission to stop all associated data transfers. This has increased the pressure on the Commission to find a European solution.

A critical look at the situation

The EU Commission is about to make a major decision that could change Europe's digital landscape forever. Switching to a European cloud provider such as OVHcloud would send a strong signal for more independence and data protection. However, it remains to be seen whether the European providers can meet the Commission's high standards and whether they can offer the same reliability and scalability as Microsoft Azure.

Although this step is courageous and necessary, it will also be associated with challenges. It will be exciting to see whether the EU Commission will continue along this path consistently and how European cloud providers will fare in this competition. One thing is certain: Europe's digital sovereignty is at stake.