Executive Summary
Germany and France have developed joint criteria for digital sovereignty and documented them in a paper. The criteria define when cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data infrastructure are considered "sovereign." Both countries aim to reduce Europe's critical dependencies on third countries in digital technologies. The German-French document was published two weeks after the EU technology sovereignty package. Berlin and Paris are deliberately setting the tone for the entire European Union.
People
- Josefine Fokuhl (Author, Handelsblatt)
- Friederike Hofmann (Author, Handelsblatt)
Topics
- Digital Sovereignty
- EU Technology Policy
- Cloud Computing
- Artificial Intelligence
- Semiconductor Production
Clarus Lead
The German-French initiative comes at a critical moment in European technology policy: The EU Commission has simultaneously launched a comprehensive sovereignty package that creates concrete instruments to reduce US dependency through the Cloud and AI Development Act and Chips Act 2.0. Berlin and Paris position themselves as strategic architects of European technological independence – a signal that leading EU states are not waiting for Brussels but are setting standards themselves. The focus on sensitive data processing indicates increasingly security-policy dimensions of digitalization issues.
Detailed Summary
The joint German-French paper addresses the multilayered nature of technological dependency: it manifests not only in individual products or services, but permeates the entire digital value chain – from semiconductors and software as infrastructure components through data management systems to artificial intelligence as a key technology. This systemic perspective distinguishes the approach from ad-hoc funding measures.
The EU technology sovereignty package operationalizes the German-French criteria through two central legislative initiatives. The Cloud and AI Development Act regulates the preferential use of European providers in processing sensitive data – a mechanism that combines market protection with security arguments. The Chips Act 2.0 focuses on reconstructing European semiconductor capacities, the most critical bottleneck in current technological dependency. Both instruments aim to shift value creation and control from the US ecosystem to European actors.
Key Findings
- Germany and France set EU-wide standards for digital sovereignty rather than waiting for the EU Commission
- Dependencies extend across all levels: from semiconductors through data management to AI systems
- The EU technology sovereignty package concretizes the criteria through regulatory measures (Cloud Act, Chips Act 2.0) and market protection for European providers
Critical Questions
Evidence/Data Quality: What quantitative dependency indicators (e.g., market shares, data flows) justify the classification of cloud, AI, and semiconductor technologies as "critically dependent"?
Conflicts of Interest: To what extent do the sovereignty criteria commercially favor European technology corporations and create market access barriers for US and Asian providers regardless of technological quality?
Causality/Alternatives: Is reducing third-country dependency through market protection (Cloud Act, Chips Act 2.0) the most effective path to technological sovereignty, or do closed markets result in less innovation pressure on European actors?
Feasibility/Risks: How are the defined sovereignty criteria operationalized in certification or compliance procedures, and what transition periods are provided to US and non-EU providers for conversion?
Causality/Counter-Hypotheses: Could European "technology isolation" result in innovation losses and higher costs for European users and businesses?
Source Directory
Primary Source: Digitalization: Germany and France Define Digital Sovereignty Criteria – Handelsblatt, 17.06.2026
Verification Status: ✓ 17.06.2026
This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 17.06.2026