Publications Archive

• The Tech Sovereignty Package published today is the most coherent attempt the EU Commission has made so far to address structural technology dependencies. That does not mean it is free of risk.
• Sovereignty is not an all-or-nothing choice between openness and self-sufficiency. A Europe that wins by excluding the competition has not solved its technology problems, it has merely postponed it.
• Europe’s ambition must be to be competitive on the basis of the quality of its technologies. While this is a challenging goal, it is the only right path to take.

Today, the European Commission published its Tech Sovereignty Package, consisting of a revised Chips Act, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), a Strategy for an EU Open Digital Ecosystem, and an Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in Energy. The political logic driving this package seems straightforward: According to the Draghi Report, the EU remains structurally reliant on non-EU providers for over 80% of its digital products, services, infrastructures and intellectual property. However, according to a preliminary cep analysis, the proposals contain good ideas and serious risks in roughly equal measure.

With the Digital Networks Act (DNA), the European Commission aims to fundamentally overhaul the legal framework for digital networks in Europe. In an initial cepPolicyBrief of the DNA, the Centre for European Policy (cep) has examined several regulatory areas in greater detail and draws mixed conclusions.

To boost the European Union’s competitiveness, the European Commission aims to simplify its digital regulations. The Centre for European Policy (cep) has examined the ‘EU Digital Fitness Check’ and is calling for a swift and fundamental overhaul of the various legislative texts.

A few days ago, The Economist argued in favour of Europe pragmatically opening up to Chinese open-source AI models such as DeepSeek. At first glance, the reasoning is compelling: these models are almost as powerful as their American competitors, considerably cheaper and seem to offer Europe insurance against US market isolation under the Trump administration. However, this position could prove dangerous in the medium term – not because openness is the wrong approach, but because the choice of partner will determine fundamental security policy issues relating to European technological sovereignty.

The EU Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) is gradually coming into force and poses significant challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). But instead of just seeing risks, SMEs can use the new rules as an opportunity to position themselves in global competition. A recent analysis by the Centre for European Policy (cep) describes these opportunities.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence agents and their use in virtual worlds such as computer games harbours considerable risks. According to the Centre for European Policy (cep), the EU's metaverse strategy and existing regulations underestimate the danger: without comprehensive framework conditions, a loss of trust could soon undermine the digital economy.

The introduction of an EU scheme for certifying the cyber security of cloud services (EUCS) has been the subject of intense debate for years - so far in vain. The aim: harmonised standards for the attestation of the level of cybersecurity of cloud services in the EU. As time is pressing due to enormous political and economic turmoil, the Centre for European Policy (cep) is proposing ways out of the impasse.

Europe is well positioned in quantum computing – for now. But without an overall strategy, the continent risks losing its software sovereignty. The Centre for European Policy (cep) warns of this gap and calls for open standards, diversification of hardware research, and industrial benchmarks for targeted market development.

Europe faces major challenges in developing its digital and energy network infrastructure. Without significant investment in modern and cross-border networks, the transition to the green and digital age will not succeed. The Centre for European Policy (cep) has formulated recommendations for an effective investment policy that will drive network expansion without generating new debt.

Police authorities and governments are calling for digital backdoors for investigative purposes - and the EU Commission is listening. The Centre for European Policy (cep) warns against a weakening of digital encryption. The damage to cyber security, fundamental rights and trust in digital infrastructures would be enormous.