European Union Outlines Plan to Reduce Dependence on American Tech

European Union officials unveiled a broad plan on Wednesday to reduce dependence on American technology, which they increasingly see as a threat to the region’s economic future and geopolitical security amid a rocky relationship with the Trump administration.

Under the plan, officials outlined more government involvement in the region’s tech industry to accelerate the construction of data centers and revive its semiconductor industry. It would also push European governments and businesses to purchase technology from domestic suppliers, while potentially barring American firms from cloud computing contracts seen as critical to security.

European leaders have become increasingly alarmed by the reliance on American technology in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud computing and semiconductors. Many worry the dependence creates a “kill switch” that the Trump administration or future U.S. presidents could exploit to block access to essential tech services.

“We cannot afford to depend on others for the technologies that keep our hospitals running, our energy grids stable and our services secure,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the executive branch of the 27-nation bloc, in a statement.

By adopting more protectionist economic policies, the so-called technology sovereignty package could further strain Europe’s relationship with the Trump administration after past disagreements over trade, the war in Ukraine and control of Greenland. Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, previously threatened retaliation against Europe over its digital policies.

European officials are working to carry out a trade pact with the United States, and President Trump has told them they must finish by July 4. The European Parliament is expected to vote on the package in mid-June, just ahead of that deadline.