As the issue of cloud sovereignty gains urgency, Beltug members are turning to their peers for insights, concerns and approaches. That’s why we’re kicking off several new initiatives offering practical tools, concrete insights and opportunities to exchange experiences. Here’s a taste of what we have been working on.
24 / 09 / 25
In the 2025 Beltug Priorities Compass, the brand-new topic ‘Sovereignty — should we look for alternative EU providers (e.g. EuroStack, etc.)?’ jumped straight to the #10 overall priority. ‘Digital sovereignty and geopolitical risk management‘ — also new in the survey — debuted at #15.
For public institutions specifically, the stakes are even higher: a 3rd topic, ‘Sovereign cloud, trusted cloud, confidential computing – demystifying, what questions to ask your service provider’ additionally ranked high with this group.
This notable shift in mindset is driven by geopolitics and a growing desire to reduce our reliance on non-European cloud and infrastructure providers.
Based on this evolution, we are launching several initiatives around the issue of cloud sovereignty:
One of Beltug’s cornerstone actions around cloud sovereignty is the development of a sovereignty checklist. This structured set of questions will help organisations assess cloud providers on multiple key aspects such as data privacy, data residency, encryption, legal jurisdiction and how to exit the cloud. The goal is to create a robust, vendor-neutral list of questions that supports informed decision-making.
The first draft is ready and we are looking for business users willing to give their input. Beltug will also reach out to our sister CIO associations in France, Germany and the Netherlands for input and feedback.
To support strategic cloud transitions, Beltug will bring together members to discuss and share information on cloud alternatives. The focus will be on European providers, although providers from other countries who meet the data sovereignty requirements can be included.
Vendor lock-in, data exposure and jurisdictional conflicts are just a few of the risks of using cloud services. Beltug will organise events and sessions focussing on risk analysis and mitigation, helping members identify vulnerabilities and explore practical countermeasures. For example, how can you reduce reliance on proprietary high-end services and leverage open-source or modular alternatives?
Collaboration is essential to build our sovereign cloud strategy, and our members’ input is essential. Whether you’ve tested European cloud providers, developed internal sovereignty policies, or know experts who can contribute, please let us know. Your insight matters!