- CISPE hits back at the EU’s push for cloud sovereignty
- Claims that new “score” system could create even more imbalance in the market in favor of US hyperscalers
- US companies are believed to have around 70% of the EU’s cloud market
Attempts by the European Union (EU) to reduce reliance on US cloud providers and hyperscalers may actually have the opposite effect, opponents of the plans have argued.
CISPE (Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in Europe), a collective of 38 of the continent’s main cloud players, has hit out at the EU’s Cloud Sovereignty Framework, which it says is likely to lead to no changes in the market.
Of particular disdain is the new “sovereignty score”, which ranks providers according to their strengths, but which CISPE says is weighted against existing (and often US) providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
“Clear indicator” required
“CISPE’s concern is that the framework’s criteria are so broad and weighted that they may allow a provider to tick enough boxes to get a high score without really delivering on the spirit of European sovereignty,” a CISPE spokesperson told. The register.
“More fundamentally, we believe you’re either sovereign or you’re not. Customers need a clear indicator. That’s not to say that additional technological, legal or other security measures can’t provide levels of control appropriate for the cloud use cases that customers need, especially those participating in global supply chains.”
Cloud and data sovereignty across Europe has become a hot-button issue in recent months as customers seek alternatives to US hyperscalers.
Recent findings from Synergy Research claim that AWS, Microsoft and Google Cloud together have 70% of the European cloud market, with European companies owning just 15% – down from 29% in 2017.
Many UK businesses admit they are still not sure exactly where their data is stored, although sovereignty concerns and new regulations mean they are demanding more local options.
“The new Sovereign Cloud tender provides clarity and transparency about what sovereignty means and how it will be measured in public procurement, an EU spokesperson said The register.
“It creates a level playing field where cloud providers in the EU market can demonstrate their sovereignty strengths. It pushes the whole market towards a higher standard and conformity with European values.”
CISPE has had a busy few months fighting legal battles across Europe – back in July 2025 it announced that members could now offer Microsoft software under a pay-as-you-go model without sharing customer data with the company.
The group also has a formal appeal challenging the European Commission’s decision to approve Broadcom’s 2023 acquisition of VMware, claiming the former had imposed “unfair contract terms for cloud infrastructure services”.
The best cloud storage for all budgets
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
