Europe Launches Federated Cloud to Reduce Tech Dependence
Europe has taken a concrete step toward digital sovereignty with the launch of EURO‑3C, a federated cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure backed by the European Commission. Announced by Telefónica at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the initiative brings together more than 70 organizations, including telecom operators, technology companies, startups, and SMEs. The project aims to reduce Europe’s structural dependence on non‑EU cloud and AI providers while strengthening cross‑border digital capacity.
EURO‑3C does not seek to create a new European hyperscaler from scratch. Instead, it connects existing national cloud, edge, and AI infrastructures into a federated network of interoperable nodes. This approach reflects a strategic assessment that scale, resilience, and interoperability can be achieved more efficiently through federation rather than centralization, while keeping control within the European legal and regulatory framework.
The initiative responds directly to concerns raised by recent large‑scale cloud outages affecting US providers, which exposed operational, economic, and security vulnerabilities for European users. Policymakers increasingly view overreliance on third‑country infrastructure as a risk to strategic autonomy, data protection, and continuity of essential services. EURO‑3C aligns with broader EU policy goals on technological sovereignty and secure digital infrastructure.
Priority sectors for deployment include automotive, e‑health, public services, and government cloud environments, with a strong focus on agentic AI systems capable of autonomous action. For EU institutions, the project represents a foundational layer for future digital services built in compliance with EU digital law, including data protection, cybersecurity, and emerging AI governance requirements.
