Why EU Stack?
Choosing European cloud services is more than a preference. It's a strategic decision for data protection, compliance, and resilience.
Europe's Digital Dependency
of EU digital services from third countries
of EU cloud controlled by US providers
EU cloud market held by European providers
of Western data on US infrastructure
Data Sovereignty
Keep your data under EU jurisdiction and data protection laws. European services are not subject to foreign government data access requests.
GDPR Compliance
EU services are built with GDPR in mind from the ground up. Simpler compliance, clearer data processing agreements, and no cross-border transfer concerns.
Geopolitical Resilience
Reduce dependency on services that could be affected by international sanctions, trade disputes, or policy changes between regions.
No Foreign Surveillance Laws
EU-based services are not subject to laws like the US CLOUD Act, FISA, or similar foreign surveillance legislation.
Support European Innovation
Building on European infrastructure strengthens the European tech ecosystem, creates jobs, and drives innovation within the EU.
Future-Proof Your Stack
With Schrems II and ongoing legal challenges to EU-US data transfers, EU services provide long-term regulatory certainty.
The Legal Landscape
Schrems II and Data Transfers
The 2020 Schrems II ruling invalidated the Privacy Shield framework for EU-US data transfers. While Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and the new EU-US Data Privacy Framework provide some mechanisms, many experts believe these may face similar legal challenges.
Using EU-based services eliminates the need for these complex transfer mechanisms entirely. Your data stays in the EU, under EU law, with no international transfer concerns.
NIS2 and DORA
New EU regulations like NIS2 (Network and Information Security Directive) and DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) impose strict requirements on critical infrastructure and financial services. These regulations often require careful assessment of third-country dependencies.
Many organizations are finding that EU-based infrastructure simplifies compliance with these emerging regulations.
The CLOUD Act Problem
The US CLOUD Act allows US authorities to compel US-based companies to provide data stored anywhere in the world, even if that data is subject to EU law. This creates a fundamental conflict with GDPR requirements.
EU-based services are not subject to the CLOUD Act, providing clearer legal protection for your data.
Beyond Compliance
While regulatory compliance is important, the case for EU services goes beyond legal requirements:
- Latency: EU-based servers often provide better performance for European users
- Support: Same-timezone support and European language options
- Economic impact: Your spending supports the European tech ecosystem
- Values alignment: Many EU services prioritize privacy and sustainability
Getting Started
Ready to explore European alternatives? Here's how Star Stack can help:
- Use the Stack Builder to audit your current services
- Browse our directory to discover EU alternatives
- Check the sovereignty score to understand each service's EU credentials
- Use migration resources to plan your transition
Sources & References
- European Parliament Report A10-0107/2025 — Report on Europe's technological sovereignty. europarl.europa.eu
- Schrems II (Case C-311/18) — CJEU ruling invalidating Privacy Shield. curia.europa.eu
- US CLOUD Act (H.R.4943) — Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act. congress.gov
- NIS2 Directive (EU 2022/2555) — Network and Information Security Directive. EUR-Lex
- DORA (EU 2022/2554) — Digital Operational Resilience Act. EUR-Lex
- GDPR (EU 2016/679) — General Data Protection Regulation. EUR-Lex