Open Future response to the public consultation on the Cloud and AI Development Act

Yesterday we submitted our response to the European Commission’s consultation on the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act. According to the Commission’s initial outline (which formed the basis for the consultation), the Act is intended to play a key role in advancing Europe’s digital sovereignty through investment in cloud and AI infrastructure.

Our response highlights two critical aspects for ensuring that this investment delivers genuine public value: procurement and sustainability.

We argue that public procurement should be used as a strategic tool to prioritise open, interoperable, and sovereign digital infrastructure — including support for community-based digital commons. At the same time, sustainability must be treated as a public responsibility, not left to voluntary industry initiatives. We call for strong regulatory safeguards to ensure that infrastructure investments align with Europe’s climate goals and democratic values.