Microsoft announces "European digital commitments" amid transatlantic tensions

2025-04-30 · Publisher : Microsoft · Domain : Cloud & DevOps

In Brussels, Brad Smith presents five commitments for Europe: 40% more data center capacity, going to court if a government ordered services to stop, data protection, cybersecurity and economic support.

### Background On 30 April 2025, at an Atlantic Council event in Brussels, **Brad Smith**, Microsoft's vice chair and president, presents five "European digital commitments". The context is trade and political tension between Europe and the United States, which makes European customers fear a cut-off or a dependence on US decisions. ### Key facts - Capacity: increase European data center capacity by 40% over two years, doubling it from 2023 to 2027, for 200 data centers in 16 countries. - Resilience: Microsoft pledges to "go to court" if a government ordered it to stop its operations in Europe, with contractual commitments and continuity code stored in Switzerland. - Privacy: continuation of the EU Data Boundary project and of confidential computing. - Cybersecurity: appointment of a deputy chief information security officer (CISO) for Europe and compliance with new European rules. - Competitiveness: support for open source developers, start-ups and models available on Azure. - Brad Smith presents these commitments as contractual rather than merely symbolic. ### Why it matters The announcement is a direct answer to the demand for sovereignty: Microsoft tries to reassure without changing nationality. CIOs will find contractual commitments, but none removes the reach of the Cloud Act, as the Senate hearing in June 2025 showed. It comes a month and a half before the launch of Microsoft Sovereign Cloud. ### Takeaway Microsoft answers European concerns with pledges, before proposing a dedicated offer in June.

Tags : Souveraineté, Azure, Hyperscaler, Europe, États-Unis