Amazon Launches EU-Only AWS Cloud, Announces Expansion Across Europe

AWS plans to expand the sovereign cloud beyond Germany into more EU countries.

Attendees walk through an expo hall at AWS re:Invent 2022, a conference hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), in Las Vegas on Nov. 30, 2022. Noah Berger/Reuters

Amazon Web Services (AWS) said on Jan. 15 it had launched a new cloud service located entirely within the European Union.

The new offering, called the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, is physically and logically separate from existing AWS regions and is designed to help customers meet what the company described as evolving sovereignty requirements.

The company said the service would have no critical dependencies on non-EU infrastructure and could continue operating even if communications with the rest of the world were disrupted.

The launch comes as the EU pursues what it calls a secure and autonomous digital economy, while enforcing an expanding set of rules aimed at technology platforms.

The EU’s digital rulebook includes the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, as well as newer legislation such as the AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Data Act, the Chips Act, and rules governing crypto assets.

Together, they aim to regulate the gatekeeper power of the largest digital companies, strengthen cybersecurity, and reduce external dependencies.

The United States has previously said that regulations that dictate how U.S. companies interact with consumers in the EU will face scrutiny from Washington.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in September that the EU sets its own digital regulation and “will always decide for itself.”

AWS Expands Beyond Germany

Amazon Web Services said the new sovereign cloud would initially be anchored in Germany, but would expand across the bloc to meet demand for strict data residency and low latency.

The company plans to roll out the AWS local zones service in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

Local zones allow customers to store data in specific geographic locations or run latency-sensitive applications, Amazon said. Customers with more stringent requirements will also be able to use AWS Dedicated Local Zones, AWS Outposts, or AI Factories in locations of their choosing, including on-premises data centers.

The company said the expansion would give organizations more options to deploy cloud workloads while maintaining operational independence and access to AWS services they already use.

German Federal Minister for Digital Transformation Karsten Wildberger welcomed the launch and said it helps bring Europe closer to its goal of digital sovereignty

Belgian Vice Prime Minister David Clarinval said the expansion in Belgium would allow companies to make better use of cloud innovation while maintaining strong data residency safeguards.

“Belgian organisations will gain greater flexibility in how they store and process data locally, strengthening their competitiveness and supporting the growth of our digital economy,” Clarinval said.

Amazon Web Services said it has set up a dedicated governance structure in Europe, including a new parent company and three local subsidiaries incorporated in Germany. The entities are led by EU citizens who are required to comply with European law and act in the interests of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

The structure also includes an advisory board to provide oversight on sovereignty-related issues. The board is made up of three Amazon employees and two independent members, all of whom are European citizens and residents.

Amazon said a broad range of partners, including Accenture, Capgemini, Deloitte, NVIDIA, and SAP, had committed to offering services within the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.