Dutch Watchdogs Urge Joint EU Buying for AI and Cloud to Cut US Reliance
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 10
Dutch Watchdogs Urge Joint EU Buying for AI and Cloud to Cut US Reliance
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 10
Summary
Dutch watchdogs told the government banks and other finance firms should pool purchasing of AI and cloud services to strengthen their hand against dominant US providers.
The proposal says Europe’s supervised institutions are becoming more dependent on overseas tech companies even as the EU pushes for greater strategic autonomy in critical digital services.
Antitrust concerns should not block collective procurement, the report argues, because existing exemptions can allow joint buying if it is structured within current competition rules.
The recommendations from the central bank, data protection agency and other regulators frame joint purchasing as a practical European response to concentrated US power in AI and cloud markets.
Will US cloud giants be locked out of Europe's lucrative public and financial sectors?
Can Europe's new 'digital fortress' laws break its deep dependency on American technology?
The EU’s Cloud and AI Development Act: Ambitious Plan to Triple Data Center Capacity and End Foreign Tech Dependence
Overview
In June 2026, the European Union introduced the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) as the centerpiece of its European Technological Sovereignty Package. This bold move aims to strengthen the EU’s digital independence by reducing reliance on non-EU cloud and AI providers, expanding domestic digital infrastructure, and creating a strong framework for public sector cloud procurement. CADA directly addresses the EU’s infrastructure deficit, which has limited its ambitions in AI leadership, by focusing on building more data centers and supporting advanced AI systems that require significant cloud resources. Through these efforts, the EU seeks to secure its technological future and leadership.