House of Representatives votes in favor of EU cloud alternatives

With the motion, Koekkoek (Volt) wants to reduce dependence on U.S. tech companies and safeguard Europe's digital sovereignty. Although American companies such as AWS (Amazon Web Services) say they have invested heavily in the EU, the motion highlights the risk that the U.S. government could access European data through laws such as the CLOUD Act. This move is seen as an essential movement toward European digital autonomy.

Significant move toward European digital sovereignty

Cloud providers from the United States have a dominant position in the European market. According to MP Koekkoek, this is a concern because U.S. legislation, such as the CLOUD Act, can give the U.S. government access to data on European citizens, companies, and governments. Moreover, through decrees and legislation, the U.S. president can take measures that threaten access to or security of European data in U.S. cloud environments. The increasingly unpredictable geopolitical situation exacerbates this situation.

Europe's strategic digital autonomy is essential for economic, technological, and national security. MP Koekkoek's motion, therefore, calls for the EU to advocate accelerated investments in European cloud alternatives and digital infrastructure. This should optimally use the European budget and investment funds. Moreover, the Dutch government is requested to identify which additional national resources can be made available to stimulate European cloud solutions.

Response from AWS

AWS, one of the largest cloud providers, responded to the discussion in the Lower House, highlighting its investments in the EU. According to a spokesman, Amazon has invested more than €180 billion in the EU since 2010, including in the Netherlands, where it now has 1,000 employees at its research and development center and offices in Amsterdam and The Hague. AWS also claims that customers have complete control over where they store their data, how it is encrypted, and who has access to it and that the AWS Cloud is sovereign by design.

The need for European alternatives remains strong despite investment from U.S. tech companies. Dutch governments rely heavily on U.S. technology, especially from companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. A recent incident illustrates the vulnerability: the United States threatened to shut down Starlink to Ukraine if the country did not sign a mineral deal. Moreover, the Cloud Act requires U.S. companies to give customer data to the U.S. government, regardless of location. Financial concerns also play a role, as U.S. tech companies regularly raise prices, leaving Dutch governments little room for negotiation.

Trump has free rein over Dutch government data

The Netherlands relies heavily on American IT service providers such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon for the storage of government data.

Read More

Initiatives and declarations of intent

Some initiatives have already been launched to develop European cloud alternatives. For example, CIO Rijk, Art de Blauw, has signed a letter of intent for the European OpenDesk initiative. European cloud alternatives such as Nextcloud and Gaia-X exist but are hardly used. The European Commission calls for less dependence on American technology, but still uses Microsoft 365.

The adoption of MP Koekkoek's motion is only a first step. Concrete action is urgently needed. The Dutch government and municipalities are called upon to join European alternatives, invest in their cloud solutions, and develop a strategic exit strategy from dependence. Only then can Europe take control of its digital future and ensure the necessary sovereignty.