European Tech Firms And NGOs Urge Brussels To Strengthen Digital Sovereignty Amid U.S. Competition

Representatives of European technology companies, NGOs and Greens/EFA lawmakers present a joint call for stronger EU digital sovereignty and support for Europe’s technology sector.

Europe Pushes For Tech Sovereignty

Thirteen European technology companies, six NGOs and Greens/EFA lawmakers urged the European Commission to strengthen digital sovereignty through investment, fair competition, open standards, resilient infrastructure and support for European innovation.

Thirteen high-profile European tech companies and 6 NGOs join forces with the Greens/EFA Group and call on the European Commission to commit to stronger protection and support for Europe’s digital industry. Among the signatories are OVHcloud, Proton, Mastodon, Nextcloud, Ecosia and more, representing a growing EU tech ecosystem with over 3,000 employees, a combined revenue of more than €1 billion annually and tens of millions of users and customers.

head of the presentation of the EU Tech Sovereignty Package on Wednesday, they urge the European Commission for a strong commitment to democratic European solutions:

“It is time for the Union to act with ambition, use and strengthen its technological capabilities through investment, open ecosystems, sovereign and resilient infrastructure.

Highlights

• 13 leading European tech companies and 6 NGOs signed a joint declaration.
• Coalition includes OVHcloud, Proton, Mastodon, Nextcloud and Ecosia.
• Signatories represent over 3,000 employees across Europe.
• Combined annual revenue exceeds €1 billion.
• Tens of millions of users and customers are represented.
• Call issued ahead of the EU Tech Sovereignty Package presentation.
• Focus on open ecosystems, interoperability and fair competition.
• Demand for stronger investment in European digital infrastructure.
• Alexandra Geese warns against using Europe’s digital future as a trade bargaining chip.
• Kim van Sparrentak emphasizes privacy, democratic accountability and trusted technology.
• Coalition advocates “Build European, Buy European, Protect European.”
• Strong push for enforcement of EU digital regulations.

“We invite the European Commission and Member States to commit to strengthening Europe’s digital foundations through openness, interoperability as well as fair competition and strategic regulations.”

MEP Alexandra Geese, Greens/EFA negotiator of last mandate’s Digital Services Act (DSA), said, “This unique declaration is a wake up call for Ursula von der Leyen. Europe’s digital future must no longer be used as a bargaining chip in trade talks with the US. Our message is simple: Build European, buy European, protect European.

“Europe’s digital industry, civil society and political actors are speaking with one voice. We need a strong EU Tech Sovereignty Package and the political courage to enforce our rules, invest in our own technology and stop treating European tech as an afterthought.”

MEP Kim van Sparrentak, Greens/EFA negotiator of the recent AI Omnibus, comments, “European technology is not only about where products are built, but about the values they are built on. ‚Made in Europe‘ must mean privacy by design, open standards, fair competition, energy efficiency and democratic accountability. If Europe wants digital sovereignty, it must invest in technologies that people can trust and that serve the public interest. And not the US model based on surveillance capital.”