EU calls for input on open source as it looks toward tech sovereignty

The European Commission has published a public call for feedback for improving the EU open-source sector, in a bid to boost the EU’s tech sovereignty and competitiveness.

The initiative, called Towards European open digital ecosystems, plans to identify barriers to the EU’s open source technology and define concrete EU-level measures to support its growth.

The project comes amid increasing geopolitical uncertainty, which has prompted EU policymakers to advocate for solutions independent from the U.S.-based tech giants. Last year, EU Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen pledged to strengthen the sovereignty of EU digital commons and the continent’s tech sector.

“The EU faces a significant problem of dependence on non-EU countries in the digital sphere,” the Commission says in the feedback call published last week. “Open source – which is a public good to be freely used, modified, and redistributed – has the strong potential to underpin a diverse portfolio of high-quality and secure digital solutions that are valid alternatives to proprietary ones.”

The final strategy for establishing an open source framework is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2026. Stakeholders are invited to submit their views on the initiative until February 3rd.

Open source as a path to EU-centered infrastructure

Unlike the previous 2020–2023 open source software strategy, the European Commission’s new strategy recognizes open source as a crucial element of EU technological sovereignty, competitiveness and cybersecurity. The continent plans to stimulate the open source sector with a combination of funding and policy measures.

The initiative is designed to complement the Cloud and AI Development Act (CAIDA), which will expand cloud and AI capacities within the bloc. Last year, the Commission also unveiled the AI Continent Action Plan aimed at increasing tech competitiveness with China and the U.S.

The EU has already made certain moves towards introducing open source tech through the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium for Digital Commons. The project gathers France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands and aims to develop open source technology for public administration.

Ultimately, the bloc also plans to spread its digital infrastructure beyond EU borders. The EU’s International Digital Strategy, released in June last year, focuses on shaping global digital governance standards and cooperation with third countries. This includes sharing its experience on developing open-source digital identity wallets.

In parallel with the EU’s regulatory efforts, the industry and academia has been floating the idea of Eurostack, a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) framework that could support everything from digital ID, AI and data platforms to semiconductors, networks and cloud computing.

Article Topics

digital identity  |  digital wallets  |  EU  |  open source  |  tech sovereignty