In this piece on Global Policy Journal, Emrys Schoemaker discusses Europe’s new Tech Sovereignty Package (June 2026). The Package defines “digital sovereignty” largely in terms of where data is stored and who runs the infrastructure, using procurement rules and “sovereignty tiers” to steer sensitive public-sector data toward “trusted” providers. The article argues this approach prioritizes vendor nationality and security over deeper questions of governance, accountability, and public benefit—and, through the “Brussels Effect,” could become a de facto global standard exported via European funding and technical assistance. For lower-income partners, this may shift dependency rather than reduce it, unless sovereignty frameworks expand local control over how systems are designed and governed. The piece highlights the EU’s open-source and open-standards agenda as the strongest path to meaningful sovereignty, because interoperable, decentralized infrastructure can be adapted and governed locally, without relying on proprietary platforms or external certification regimes.
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