Four European professional associations call for joint policy efforts for a resilient and independent digital economy in Europe.
Beltug, the Belgian network for CIOs and digital leaders, joins forces with Cigref (France), CIO Platform Nederland and VOICE (Germany). With a joint open letter, the associations want to wake up European policymakers. They urge more political action on digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
Digital dependency will cost Europe an estimated 264 billion euros in 2025 according to the signatories. Without intervention, this amount could rise to 500 billion euros by 2032. This starts with first clearly defining what sovereignty actually is, before building policy around it.
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Call for Investments and Simplification
According to the statement, Europe must better support its own digital industry. This requires targeted investments in cloud infrastructure, software and digital services, as well as policy measures that favor European suppliers in government contracts. European preference in procurement is not a form of protectionism but a necessary strategy to strengthen digital autonomy, the four associations argue.
The associations also address the complexity of European digital regulation. They advocate for simplification and harmonization, eliminating redundant rules and better coordinating supervision at EU level. This should lead to a level playing field for European and non-European providers within the internal market: a demand that Americans will also agree with.
Trust, Competition and Shared Infrastructure
The statement emphasizes the importance of a reliable European cloud ecosystem. European data must remain within the EU and be protected against external legislation. In this context, the professional associations call for a revision of the Cybersecurity Act and a refinement of the EUCS certification scheme.
They also call for stricter enforcement of European competition law. Large technology companies that abuse market dominance should be designated as ‘gatekeepers’ more quickly under the Digital Markets Act.
Finally, the importance of digital identity, shared digital infrastructure and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence is emphasized. AI must be based on European technologies, transparent and legally protected against influences from outside the EU.
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