Cloud operations in Europe will exclusively be handled by European personnel, as per Amazon Web Services (AWS) announcement.
The technology landscape in Europe is undergoing a significant shift, with US cloud providers holding a dominant 70% share of the market, according to Synergy Research Group. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Cloud lead the pack, leaving local firms with just 15% of the market. However, this dominance has raised concerns among IT leaders, who are increasingly worried about the influence of US-based cloud providers on the European market.
To address these concerns, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced the launch of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. This cloud service is designed to provide customers with an autonomous cloud that operates independently in Europe and for Europe. The service will have no critical dependencies on non-EU infrastructure, ensuring full control over where data is stored and processed.
AWS is promising to operate its European Sovereign Cloud with EU citizens only. This commitment is backed by a €7.8 billion investment through 2040. The service will be the only fully-featured, independently operated sovereign cloud, replicating a widely-used mitigation mechanism already established in the hiring practices of EU institutions and governments.
The AWS European Sovereign Cloud addresses EU data sovereignty concerns by meeting specific regulatory, data residency, and operational requirements. It fully complies with EU legal frameworks like GDPR and the EU Data Act, ensuring data handled under EU jurisdiction and law. The cloud infrastructure is physically and logically isolated and entirely located within the EU.
Operations and employees are subject to EU law exclusively, with only EU citizens residing in the EU employed for operating the cloud, including control of day-to-day operations such as data center access, technical support, and customer service. This staffing policy replicates EU government and institutional security standards and strengthens operational sovereignty and trust.
The service is operated by a newly established European entity incorporated in Germany, with local leadership and governance, guaranteeing independent oversight and accountability within the EU. The cloud uses strong technical segregation and control mechanisms, including no operational control outside EU borders.
AWS is also establishing a dedicated European certificate authority to support autonomous operations within the sovereign cloud, reinforcing trust and compliance with EU standards. The company is committing to supporting employees impacted by this transition and redeploying builders who do not meet the EU citizen eligibility requirement into other roles within Amazon.
The move comes as concern rises in the EU that sovereign cloud isn't always as 'sovereign' as it should be due to the US Cloud Act. Microsoft's France director of public and legal affairs, Anton Carniaux, admitted he cannot guarantee French citizen data will not be transmitted to US authorities without explicit French authorization.
The announcement of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud follows the release of a cloud competition report by the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority), which has been criticized by both AWS and Microsoft. With more than half of UK IT leaders using public or hybrid cloud setups planning to ditch US firms due to data sovereignty concerns, the launch of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud could mark a significant shift in the European cloud market.
[1] AWS Press Release: [Link to the AWS Press Release] [2] AWS European Sovereign Cloud: [Link to the AWS European Sovereign Cloud page] [3] AWS Blog Post: [Link to the AWS Blog Post] [4] Synergy Research Group Report: [Link to the Synergy Research Group Report] [5] ITPRO Article: [Link to the ITPRO Article]
- The launch of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud indicates a strategic step taken by Amazon Web Services to address cybersecurity and infrastructure concerns in the European market, offering a fully-featured and independently operated cloud service that operates within the EU and complies with EU legal frameworks.
- To bolster trust and assure sovereign control, the AWS European Sovereign Cloud will have no critical dependencies on non-EU infrastructure, employ only EU citizens for operations, and establish a European certificate authority for autonomous operations within the sovereign cloud, reinforcing compliance with EU standards.
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