EU views break from US as ‘unrealistic’ amid global tech race

The European Union is set to admit that untangling from the dominance of U.S. tech companies is “unrealistic” as fears grow over the bloc’s dependence on American giants.

A draft strategy seen by POLITICO ahead of its release this spring signals the EU has few fresh ideas to restore Europe as a serious player in global tech — even as responding to the new transatlantic reality becomes a top priority in Brussels.

The return of United States President Donald Trump to the White House and his combative stance toward Europe has revived concerns about sovereignty over fundamental technologies, including social media and cloud services, as well as about the potential access of U.S. law enforcement to data processed by ubiquitous giants Amazon, Microsoft and Google.

In the context of escalating trade tensions and mounting hybrid threats, the EU will soon release its International Digital Strategy for Europe. “Tech competitiveness is an economic and security imperative for all aspiring to durable wealth and stability,” says a draft version dated April 9.

Yet when it comes to dominant players such as the U.S., “decoupling is unrealistic and cooperation will remain significant across the technological value chain,” the draft says. It cites China as well as Japan, South Korea and India as countries with which collaboration will also be essential.

The pitch for strategic tech alliances with like-minded countries — to team up on research and generate greater business opportunities for the bloc’s companies — comes in stark contrast to growing calls for a move toward protectionism.

For Europe, “business as usual is no option,” wrote Marietje Schaake earlier this year. Schaake, a former Dutch liberal member of the European Parliament who is a leading voice on tech, called on the bloc to “end its debilitating dependence on American tech groups and take concrete steps to shield itself from the growing dangers of this new, tech-fueled geopolitical landscape.”

In Brussels, the idea of a “Eurostack” — an ambitious industrial plan to break free from U.S. tech dominance — is gaining steam, with key lawmakers throwing their weight behind the proposal.

The draft strategy backs international engagement on critical technologies such as quantum and chips — as “the growing complexity of semiconductor supply chains and geopolitical uncertainty necessitate a tailored, country-specific approach.” The EU has been scrambling to fix, among other things, a risky reliance on China for low-tech chips.

Cooperation could also include building prized artificial intelligence factories outside the bloc to help Europe grow its impact in the nascent technology, according to the draft. It should also include joined-up efforts on cybersecurity to crack down on ransomware.

The strategy is more defensive on China, stating that the EU will seek to maintain its “leadership in promoting secure and trusted 5G networks globally” — essentially a nod to excluding Chinese vendors such as Huawei.

Brussels and Washington have been joining forces for years to tame the technology giant’s global ambitions, using digital diplomacy tools to convince third countries to ditch equipment from the Shenzhen-based firm.

The draft proposes extending that model to subsea cables, whose network map should be built “with like-minded countries.”

The strategy is set to be presented June 4 according to the latest European Commission agenda.