🠄 Back to blog

Comments on the ECDPM Paper: From India Stack to EuroStack

2025-02-08

The European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) recently released a valuable discussion paper, "From India Stack to EuroStack: Reconciling approaches to sovereign digital infrastructure." This paper makes a significant contribution to the increasingly important conversation around digital sovereignty and Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs).

The ECDPM rightly highlights the global momentum behind DPIs, drawing valuable lessons from India, Brazil, and Africa. The paper correctly identifies the need for Europe to engage in this global dialogue and develop its own approach. The EuroStack Initiative believes that Europe must go further, embracing a more comprehensive and ambitious vision to secure its digital future.

Building on the Foundation: Insights and Opportunities

The ECDPM paper offers several important insights that resonate with the EuroStack Initiative's core principles:

  • Acknowledging Digital Sovereignty: The paper firmly establishes the importance of digital sovereignty as a strategic goal for nations and regions. Yes, this is a crucial starting point. And, we must recognize that true sovereignty requires control over the entire digital ecosystem, not just a few selected components.
  • Highlighting the DPI Opportunity: The paper effectively showcases the potential of DPIs to improve public services, drive innovation, and promote economic growth. Yes, DPIs are a powerful tool. And, they must be built on a foundation of open source and open standards to avoid replicating the problems of vendor lock-in and dependence.
  • Recognizing the Global Context: The paper correctly places the European discussion within a broader global context, drawing valuable lessons from India, Brazil, and Africa. Yes, international collaboration and learning are essential. And, Europe must also assert its own unique vision and values in this global conversation.
  • Emphasizing Interoperability: The paper acknowledges the importance of interoperability for avoiding vendor lock-in and fostering a competitive market. Yes, interoperability is crucial. And, it must be enforceable interoperability, based on strict open standards (EIFv1), with clear mechanisms for verification and redress.
  • Mentioning Open Source. Yes, the paper mentions that the EU and member states have begun to invest in the open source ecosystem. And, they must go further by developing a more strategic approach.

Expanding the Vision: The EuroStack Approach

While the ECDPM paper provides a valuable foundation, we at the EuroStack Initiative believe that Europe must embrace a more ambitious and comprehensive approach to achieve true digital sovereignty:

  1. From DPIs to the Full Stack: The paper's focus on DPIs, while important, risks neglecting the critical underlying layers of the technology stack. Yes, DPIs are a valuable building block. And, Europe needs a "full-stack" approach, encompassing hardware (semiconductors, data centers, network infrastructure), core software (operating systems, cloud platforms), and data governance. True sovereignty requires control over all these elements.

  2. Open Source as a Strategic Imperative: The paper acknowledges the benefits of open source. Yes, open source is valuable. And, it's not just valuable; it's essential. Open source must be the foundation of Europe's digital infrastructure, not just an option. This means adopting an "Open Source First" policy for public procurement, actively supporting the development and maintenance of critical open source projects, and fostering a vibrant European open source ecosystem. "Public Money, Public Code" must be the guiding principle.

  3. Beyond Collaboration with Hyperscalers: Building European Champions: The paper acknowledges the dominance of non-European hyperscalers. Yes, this is a major challenge. And, we must move beyond simply acknowledging the challenge to actively building alternatives. This means strategically investing in European cloud providers and open source projects, creating a level playing field for European SMEs, and leveraging public procurement to foster a competitive European market. We must be wary of "sovereignty washing" and partnerships that perpetuate dependence.

  4. Enforceable Interoperability: The Key to Freedom of Choice: The paper mentions interoperability. Yes, interoperability is necessary. And, it must be enforceable. We need legally binding requirements for interoperability based on strict open standards (à la EIFv1), with mechanisms for verification and redress. This is the only way to guarantee that European businesses and citizens have genuine freedom of choice and are not locked into proprietary ecosystems. We need an "Interoperability Act."

  5. A Geopolitical Imperative: The paper touches on the geopolitical context. Yes, the global landscape is increasingly complex. And, this complexity makes European digital sovereignty even more urgent. The re-election of Donald Trump and the immediate threats to transatlantic data flows underscore the precariousness of relying on external actors. Europe must be able to chart its own course, free from undue influence and coercion.

  6. "Buy European" as a Strategic Tool: The paper doesn't explicitly address public procurement. Yes, public procurement is a complex issue. And, it's also a powerful strategic tool. We must leverage public spending to support the growth of the European digital ecosystem, particularly SMEs. A "Buy European" approach, at least initially, is justified to counteract existing market imbalances and foster a more competitive European market.

  7. Funding: Yes, the paper calls for further investment. And, this funding should not be limited to research, but also extend to the long-term maintenance of essential open-source projects, and mostly consist of a preference given in procurement to European companies that display a measurably sufficient level of digital sovereignty.

Conclusion: Building a Digital Future on European Values

The ECDPM paper, "From India Stack to EuroStack," provides a valuable starting point for a critical conversation about Europe's digital future. The paper's analysis of global DPI trends and its call for European engagement are important contributions. The EuroStack Initiative believes that Europe must be bolder, more ambitious, and more deeply committed to open source and open standards to achieve true digital sovereignty. We must embrace a full-stack approach, empowering European businesses, protecting European citizens' data, and ensuring that Europe remains a global leader in ethical and responsible technology.