BRUSSELS/AMSTERDAM, June 1 - European policymakers are preparing stringent eligibility rules for cloud computing services in publicly tendered contracts that are deemed highly critical, according to a draft of the European Commission's Cloud and AI Development Act.
The proposal, which EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen will unveil on Wednesday as one component of a wider package aimed at cutting Europe’s reliance on U.S. technology, lays out criteria that could prevent some large foreign cloud providers from participating in sensitive state tenders. The draft document indicates that Amazon, Microsoft and Google could be excluded from such projects under the new rules.
Key to the proposal are mandatory non-price award criteria that go beyond traditional cost-focused procurement. Among those criteria are explicit requirements for software and hardware to have been developed within the EU, provisions that the draft says would disadvantage U.S. big tech companies.
Officials behind the package say the measures are designed to strengthen the bloc’s own capabilities, while a spokesperson for the Commission declined to comment on detailed elements of the draft. The Commission did say the broader tech sovereignty package was "crucial for strengthening Europe’s own technological capacities, for Europe’s competitiveness and security."
The draft has not been widely reported before and may still undergo last-minute changes, according to the document. That uncertainty leaves open how final rule language will read and how quickly any new criteria would be applied to upcoming procurements.
What the draft contains
- Strict criteria for cloud services used in highly critical state tenders.
- Mandatory non-price award criteria, including requirements for EU-developed software and hardware.
- A potential outcome in which Amazon, Microsoft and Google could be excluded from certain sensitive contracts.
Context of the announcement
Henna Virkkunen is scheduled to present the Cloud and AI Development Act measures on Wednesday as part of a package intended to reduce the European Union's dependence on U.S. technology providers. The draft language indicates the rules could disadvantage U.S. technology firms by prioritizing EU-developed technology in tender awards.
Implications and immediate considerations
The draft signals a shift in procurement priorities toward technological sovereignty by placing explicit non-price conditions on critical tenders. The document also notes that the proposal could still be revised, which creates uncertainty for suppliers and contracting authorities until final text is published.
For now, the Commission framed the package as an effort to bolster Europe’s competitiveness and security while declining to comment on specific draft provisions.