The Council of Ministers adopted the non-paper ‘Strengthening cloud sovereignty of public administrations’. With this non-paper, the Netherlands advocates several measures at European level regarding the use of cloud technology by public administrations. These measures aim to encourage increased action at EU level in strengthening cloud sovereignty. A non-paper is a document used to explore ideas on future policy.
Actions needed
To enhance the independence of EU governments in using cloud technologies, several steps are necessary. The non-paper calls for establishing a unified definition of cloud sovereignty and highlights the need for greater influence over sovereignty in European procurement directives. It also encourages the promotion of open applications and standards. Furthermore, a proposal suggests creating a European-level framework to help governments make informed decisions about adopting public cloud services. Securing adequate funding opportunities for these technologies is also essential.
Alignment with EU proposals and Dutch Digitalisation Strategy
The non-paper aligns with the European Commission’s upcoming cloud proposals: the recommendation ‘EU-wide cloud policy for public administrations and procurement’ and the legislative proposal ‘Cloud and AI Development Act’. Both proposals are anticipated to be released in early 2026. It also supports the goals of the Dutch Digitalisation Strategy (NDS), in which the national government, municipalities, provinces, water boards, and implementation organisations collaborate on a secure and dependable digital government.
View the non-paper Strengthening Cloud Sovereignty of Public Administrations on our website, NL Digital Government.
