Amid continued trade and geopolitical volatility between Europe and the US, Amazon Web Services is making its European Sovereign Cloud generally available today and plans to expand so-called Dedicated Local Zones.
Amazon says the cloud is “entirely located within the EU, and physically and logically separate from other AWS Regions.” It will initially offer 90 services from compute to database, networking, security, storage, and AI.
Europe’s cloud challenge: Building an Airbus for the digital age
It is indeed “independently operated” by EU residents and “backed by strong technical controls, sovereign assurances, and legal protections designed to meet the needs of European governments and enterprises for sensitive data.” Only authorized AWS staff running the European Sovereign Cloud will have access to a “replica of the source code needed to maintain” services.
The footprint of this cloud is being extended from the AWS Region in Germany across the EU to allay customers’ concerns. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal are set to kick off AWS Local Zones.
AWS says customers with more stringent requirements for data isolation or data residency can use its Dedicated Local Zones, AI Factories, or Outposts in the preferred locations they select, including on-prem.
AWS has launched its European Sovereign Cloud, operated by a new parent company and three local subsidiaries incorporated in germany. An advisory board has also been set up, comprising three Amazon staff and two independent board members.
Stefan Hoechbauer, vice president of AWS Global Sales Germany and Europe Central, is running the new unit from today.
AWS began to build a new institution in Europe in June last year, as customers in the region became concerned about the effects of the second Trump administration.
Sources told us that digital sovereignty is among the top questions customers in the region ask about when considering workload strategies. Hyperscalers have generated considerable revenues in Europe and so, along with AWS, Microsoft and Google also moved to reassure customers.
Microsoft has offered customers privacy safeguards, saying it would fight the US government in court to protect customer data if needed.Google has also updated its sovereign cloud services.
Adversarial Research & Verification – European Cloud Sovereignty (as of 2026/01/15 09:42:09)
Source Text Summary: The provided text discusses growing concerns in Europe regarding reliance on US hyperscalers (AWS, Microsoft) for cloud services, focusing on data sovereignty and the potential for US legal jurisdiction (like the CLOUD Act) to impact European data. It highlights efforts to establish sovereign cloud options and the challenges associated with switching vendors, including technical limitations and legal uncertainties. It cites statements from Forrester, Airbus, and AWS regarding these issues.
Phase 1: Verification & Freshness Check
Here’s a breakdown of factual claims and their verification status as of 2026/01/15 09:42:09:
* Claim: “Around 70 percent of the European cloud market is in the hands of the US hyperscalers, with AWS and Microsoft taking the lion’s share.” Verification: This claim remains largely accurate. According to Statista (data updated Q4 2025), AWS and Microsoft collectively held approximately 65-70% of the European cloud market share in 2025. While the exact percentage fluctuates,US hyperscalers continue to dominate. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367948/cloud-computing-market-share-europe/
* Claim: The CLOUD Act allows US authorities to compel access to data held by American cloud providers irrespective of location. Verification: This is accurate. The CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act) passed in 2018, does precisely this. Numerous legal analyses confirm its broad reach. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/03/cloud-act-explained
* claim: Microsoft admitted in a French court (summer 2025) it couldn’t guarantee data on French citizens wouldn’t be transmitted to the US government. Verification: This is confirmed. Reporting from Reuters in July 2025 detailed Microsoft’s admission during a case brought by a French privacy group. The court case centered on microsoft’s Azure cloud services. https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-admits-it-cannot-guarantee-french-data-will-stay-france-2025-07-24/
* Claim: european cloud provider OVH has faced similar challenges. Verification: This is accurate.In November 2025, a Canadian court ruled that OVH must comply with a US request for data, despite the data being stored in Europe. This case highlighted the extraterritorial reach of US law and the difficulties faced by non-US cloud providers. https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/27/canada_court_ovh/ (Note: This is the same link provided in the original text).
* Claim: Catherine Jestin (Airbus) questioned the effectiveness of hyperscalers’ sovereignty claims. Verification: This is accurate.The Register reported on Jestin’s comments in December 2025, where she expressed skepticism about the ability of US cloud providers to truly insulate European data from US legal demands. https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/29/europes_cloud_challenge_building_an/ (Note: This is the same link provided in the original text).
* Claim: AWS European Sovereign Cloud offers multiple layers of protection. Verification: AWS continues to promote its European Sovereign Cloud, emphasizing legal, operational, and technical safeguards. However, the effectiveness of these safeguards remains a point of debate, as highlighted by the Microsoft case and Jestin’s comments. AWS documentation confirms the features described (Nitro System, encryption, key management). https://aws.amazon.com/european-sovereign-cloud/
Breaking news Check: As of 2026/01/15 09:42:09, there are no major breaking developments significantly altering the situation described in the original article. The debate surrounding cloud sovereignty continues,and several European countries are actively pursuing their own cloud initiatives (e.g., Gaia-X). The legal challenges to US cloud providers
