Regain digital power: France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy launch a consortium for Digital Commons
On 29 October 2025, the European Commission has approved the creation of the Digital Commons EDIC (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium), an EU instrument enabling Member States to jointly develop, deploy, and operate cross-border digital infrastructures, with a dedicated governance and legal personality.
With this initiative, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy are establishing a European model for cooperation and investment in digital commons, to ensure an open, competitive and sovereign digital environment anchored in European values.
“The EDIC Digital Commons reflects a shared ambition: to build together the foundations of a strong, open, and sustainable European digital landscape. It embodies a collective momentum that will give Europe the ability to act and innovate on its own. France is enthusiastically and determinedly engaged in this new cooperation, which will foster the emergence of our European champions.”
— Stéphanie Schaer, Interministerial Director for Digital Affairs (DINUM), France
While over 80% of the digital technologies and infrastructures used in Europe are still being sourced from non-European providers, the Digital Commons EDIC has taken a crucial step: pooling the resources and expertise of Member States to develop open, interoperable and sustainable alternatives.
“With the EDIC Digital Commons, Germany is becoming part of a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium for the first time. This sends a strong signal for Europe's digital future. Together, we are strengthening Europe's digital sovereignty, promoting open technologies, and building a common digital infrastructure based on European values, so that Europe can shape its digital future in a self-determined manner. The Sovereign Tech Agency and the Center for Digital Sovereignty in Public Administration (ZenDiS) will support us with their expertise.”
— Thomas Jarzombek, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation
“The Digital Commons EDIC is Europe’s bridge from pilots to platforms. We will co-invest in shared, open solutions—AI, cloud, cybersecurity, geomatics—that drive interoperability, lower costs for administrations, and create market opportunities for European SMEs. It’s a clear message: Europe can build, maintain and govern critical digital infrastructure on its own terms, for the public interest. We are very proud that Italy has been a driving force behind this solution.”
— Serafino Sorrenti, Head of Technical Secretariat to Undersecretary for Innovation of Italy Alessio Butti
Accelerating the emergence and development of strategic digital commons to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in the digital realm
The Digital Commons EDIC provides a new interface between public and private actors to connect supply and demand by helping European tech companies to design tailored solutions for European users. The Digital Commons EDIC brings a new way of cooperating in Europe. Its aims are to:
- Offer open alternatives in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, geomatics, and social networks;
- Strengthen the European ecosystem by mobilizing technical, academic, public, and private communities.
- Create a sustainable financing mechanism aimed at supporting the production, maintenance, and dissemination of these commons at the European level;
- Encourage the broad adoption of digital commons by administrations, businesses and citizens.
“Through the Digital Commons EDIC, we can combine our strengths, scale up open source alternatives, and ensure that governments across Europe have the tools they need to act with true autonomy”
— Art de Blaauw, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Central Public Administration of The Netherlands
An open and collaborative approach
Launched by four founding Member States, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, the initiative is now gaining in momentum. Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Poland are now participating as observers, and other EU Member States are preparing to join DC EDIC.
Next steps
The official launch is scheduled for 11th December in The Hague.
About the Sovereign Tech Agency
The Sovereign Tech Agency is the first publicly funded organization in Europe tasked with strengthening critical digital infrastructure. It identifies and invests in foundational open source software components and supports open technologies with broad societal importance. Providing digital services in the public interest enables the independent use of open technologies by the state, the private sector, organizations, and individuals, and safeguards security and technological diversity. The Sovereign Tech Agency is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation and is a subsidiary of SPRIND, the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation. It was started by Adriana Groh and Fiona Krakenbürger following a feasibility study conducted with experts from the open source ecosystem in 2022. The organization currently employs 19 people and is based in Berlin.
Contact for Press Inquiries
France - Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM)
Mathilde Terroir, press officer at the Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM)
+33 7 82 04 35 41
The Netherlands – Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom relations (MinBZK)
Joppe Lieth, press officer at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom relations
+31 6-57200343
Germany – Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation
Florian Druckenthaner, Deputy Head of the Press Division / Spokesperson
- Presse@bmds.bund.de
Italy – Department for Digital Transformation (DTD)
- Gabriele Campagnano, Head of the Communication Division
- g.campagnano@innovazione.gov.it
- +39 339 5879181
Sovereign Tech Agency
Powen Shiah | Communications
info@sovereign.tech
+49 15114934113
