(Photo: European Commission)
Two new laws are included in a series of measures proposed by the European Commission to strengthen the EU’s capabilities in semiconductors, AI and cloud computing.
As well as legislation, the European Technology Sovereignty Package includes plans to expand open source alternatives in key technology areas and a roadmap for digitalization and AI in the EU’s energy sector.
The first proposed bill is Chips Act 2.0aims to build capabilities in cutting-edge semiconductor technology to power AI applications.
Third country dependence
The commission said it would speed up permitting, deepen cooperation with “like-minded partners” and introduce a new label of excellence for Europe’s semiconductor region.
The EU agency said the law would support investments and strategic projects, while addressing vulnerabilities that could put supplies at risk.
a Chip method was introduced in 2023, but the European Commission says it remains heavily dependent on third countries for advanced production and chip design.
data center capacity
proposed Cloud and AI development methods aims to triple the capacity of its European data centers over the next five to seven years.
The commission says the law supports research and innovation in cutting-edge sustainable technologies, balancing AI ambitions with tackling climate change.
Streamline the conditions for deploying data centers across the EU and introduce a single EU-wide framework to assess cloud and AI sovereignty.
The EU agency said the measure will help protect critical applications and sensitive data and support the development and deployment of advanced cloud and AI technologies.
Strengths
Chairperson Ursula von der Leyen said: “We cannot rely on others to provide the technology to keep our hospitals running, our energy grid stable, and our services safe.
“Europe has talent, research excellence, industrial base and a single market. Together we must turn these strengths into technological sovereignty,” she said.
The two legislative proposals will now need to be negotiated by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.
