EU targets sweeping open source review to curb US tech dominance

Lawmakers look to tie open source development with digital sovereignty and competitiveness concerns

he European Union (EU) is set to examine the open source space in its latest bid to take on U.S. tech dominance. A call for evidence looks to obtain insights into open-source software and how nurturing European open source developers could help reduce the EU’s dependencies on American technology firms. “The EU faces a significant problem of dependence on non-EU countries in the digital sphere,” the invitation for input reads. “This reduces users’ choice, hampers EU companies’ competitiveness, and can raise supply chain security issues as it makes it difficult to control our digital infrastructure (both physical and software components), potentially creating vulnerabilities, including in critical sectors.

“Against this background, the EU can count on a very active and rich ecosystem of communities of open-source developers, among the largest worldwide, whose work is well aligned with EU digital rights and principles … However, much of the value generated by open-source projects is exploited outside the EU, often benefiting tech giants.”

Shoring up the continent’s own tech sovereignty has quickly become a major area of focus for the EU. Following on from the infamous General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), continental lawmakers are stepping up efforts to shore up the bloc’s tech autonomy – a consideration exacerbated by claims from Microsoft’s French legal director that the firm wouldn't be able to stop European user data from being accessed by the U.S. government.

This latest strategic sovereignty review ultimately aims to update the more standards-focused 2020–2023 open source strategy, with EU officials instead looking to connect open source development to digital sovereignty and transatlantic competitiveness concerns.

Lawmakers suggested that EU open source stakeholders currently struggle with high entry barriers and limited access to public procurement, growth capital, support, and hosting infrastructures.

The review will investigate methods to potentially enhance the continent’s open source development space to help it “contribute to the EU’s tech sovereignty agenda.”

Among the areas the review will look at are issues around open source software supply chain security and governance to ensure take-up and upscaling, as well as encouraging use in the public sector. It’ll also look to see if a combination of funding and policy measures will help to further stimulate the EU open-source sector.

“A sustainable open digital ecosystem requires a broader EU environment in which critical open technologies are developed, maintained, deployed, and governed in the public interest, in cooperation with Member States, EU agencies, research institutions, civil society, and industry,” the call to action reads. “Strengthening this ecosystem is a strategic investment in the EU’s long-term technological capacity, competitiveness, and sovereignty.”

The EU does already enjoy a sizable pool of open source development talent, including in the AI space, with Mistral AI the bloc’s effective poster boy. The Paris-based firm, which made a name for itself developing high-end open source AI models, has gone on to raise around $3.05 billion (€2.8 billion).

To European lawmakers’ dismay, though, Mistral’s success is indicative of the bloc’s growing concerns of becoming subservient to U.S. tech firms, with Microsoft owning a minority stake in the firm. Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch previously emphasized the company remains independent and fully under the founders' control.

European lawmakers suggested that their review into the continent’s open source space will look to ensure essential digital capabilities, including AI services and network and edge infrastructure, are “not dependent on external actors or non-transparent technologies, but instead grounded in trustable, open, interoperable and verifiable foundations.”