European Commission introduces Cloud Sovereignty Framework to strengthen data independence
The initiative comes amid growing concern over extra-EU data transfers and the risk of third-country surveillance, particularly following debates on transatlantic data-sharing frameworks.
The European Commission has unveiled its new Cloud Sovereignty Framework, a policy tool designed to measure how independent and secure cloud services operating in the EU are. The framework establishes uniform assessment criteria and scoring methods to help evaluate providers against Europe’s sovereignty and data-protection standards.
At the center of the initiative is the Sovereign European Assurance Level (SEAL) – a ranking system that grades cloud services according to their compliance with EU sovereignty principles. The assessments span four key dimensions: strategic, legal, operational, and technological, reflecting both policy and technical requirements aimed at strengthening Europe’s control over its data and digital infrastructure.
Commission officials said the framework will serve as a reference for public administrations and private companies when choosing cloud solutions that meet the EU’s expectations for data security, privacy, and autonomy. It also aligns with the Union’s broader strategy to reduce dependency on non-European providers and to promote trusted, sovereign digital infrastructure.
The initiative comes amid growing concern over extra-EU data transfers and the risk of third-country surveillance, particularly following debates on transatlantic data-sharing frameworks. By offering a transparent evaluation method, the Commission hopes to foster trust and competitiveness within Europe’s cloud ecosystem, supporting its long-term goal of technological self-reliance.
