EU Unveils Tech Sovereignty Package to Boost AI, Chips and Cloud
By Suad Seferi ·
BRUSSELS — The European Commission has adopted a new Tech Sovereignty Package aimed at strengthening Europe’s digital autonomy, with measures focused on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, open-source software and energy systems. The package, adopted on 3 June 2026, marks a major shift in the EU’s digital agenda: from regulating technology to building more of the infrastructure behind it. According to the Commission, Europe’s tech sovereignty means the ability to develop and control key technologies, data and infrastructure while reducing reliance on non-EU providers. The initiative includes two legislative proposals, Chips Act 2.0 and the Cloud and AI Development Act, alongside an EU Open Source Strategy and a Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in Energy. The Commission says the EU currently relies on non-EU countries for more than 80% of key digital products, services, infrastructure and intellectual property, a dependency it sees as a risk to competitiveness, security and long-term resilience. Artificial intelligence is one of the central areas of the package. The EU’s wider AI policy already includes the AI Act, the AI Continent Action Plan, AI Factories and measures to improve access to computing infrastructure, data, skills and adoption across strategic sectors. The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act is intended to support more sovereign and competitive European AI and cloud solutions. The Commission says it will create better conditions for businesses, researchers and public administrations to invest in AI and cloud technologies. Semiconductors are another priority. Through Chips Act 2.0, the EU wants to strengthen Europe’s chip ecosystem by supporting research, design and manufacturing capacity while improving supply chain resilience. The open-source strategy is also presented as part of Europe’s sovereignty agenda, with the Commission aiming to support the full lifecycle of open-source technologies from research and development to market adoption. For the Western Balkans, the package matters because EU digital policy increasingly shapes the region’s own regulatory and innovation agenda. Countries working toward EU alignment are likely to feel the effects of Europe’s approach to AI infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity, data governance and digital skills. The package also sends a broader signal to Balkan governments, universities and startups: future AI competitiveness will depend not only on regulation, but on access to computing power, trusted data, cloud infrastructure and skilled talent. Europe’s latest move shows that the AI race is no longer only about models and applications. It is also about who controls the chips, cloud systems, data infrastructure and energy capacity behind them.