Foundations Scope

CADA and the Chips Act 2.0: how the two relate As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) and the review of the Chips Act are designed as complementary pillars of Europe's digital sovereignty CADA Article 31: voluntary private-sector impact assessments explained As proposed in the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), Article 31 lets private-sector entities that fall under Annex I of the NIS2 Directive — but are not CADA's goal to triple EU compute capacity by 2035 As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) aims to triple the EU's data-centre capacity within five to seven years and to reach the capacity the CADA's two objectives vs its five measures: what's the difference? The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) separates two general objectives from five concrete measures. CADA vs GDPR and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework: How They Relate As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would complement the GDPR and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) by addressing operational autonom CADA vs SecNumCloud: what is the difference between CADA and a national sovereignty label? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would create a single EU-wide cloud sovereignty framework of four "Union assurance levels," instead of CADA vs the AI Act: what is the difference? The EU AI Act and the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA, COM(2026) 502 final) play distinct but complementary roles. Common Misconceptions About the EU Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is frequently misunderstood as an immediate ban on non-European cloud providers or a duplicate of existing Does CADA affect private companies that buy cloud services? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) does not require most private companies to buy cloud services at any particular sovereignty assurance Does CADA apply to AI systems and AI providers, not just cloud? Yes. Does CADA apply to cloud service providers? Yes. Does CADA apply to data centre operators? Yes. Does CADA Apply to EU Institutions, Bodies and Agencies? Yes. Does CADA apply to non-EU cloud providers? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) does not ban non-EU cloud providers, but its sovereignty framework would heavily limit their access to Does CADA apply to public sector bodies and contracting authorities? Yes. Does CADA apply to SMEs and startups? Scope and reliefs explained Yes — as proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would apply to SMEs and startups, but it builds in measures to reduce their burden and open mark Does CADA create new funding or financial support? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) does not create new budget lines or grant schemes of its own. Does CADA discriminate against non-EU cloud providers? No — as proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) does not discriminate against non-EU providers on nationality alone. Does CADA Have EEA Relevance (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein)? Yes. Does CADA only apply to the public sector? No. Does CADA require companies to use EU-only cloud providers? No. Do I need to comply with CADA? A high-level checklist Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), your obligations depend on your role: cloud computing service provider, public-sector contracting a Extraterritorial laws and why CADA worries about them The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) targets the risks of extraterritorial laws — foreign legal frameworks that can compel cloud providers to h How CADA Defines a Data Centre and a Data Centre Service As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) does not create its own original definitions for "data centre" or "data centre service." Instead, Arti How CADA Interacts With GDPR, the AI Act, NIS2 and EU Digital Law The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is designed to complement, not duplicate, existing EU digital legislation. How CADA Relates to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) operate as complementary but distinct regulatory pillars: the DMA re How CADA Would Change Public Procurement of Cloud and AI As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would reshape public procurement by requiring EU public-sector buyers to procure cloud services with a How does CADA affect EU digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would put digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy at the centre of EU cloud and AI policy. How does CADA balance openness with sovereignty? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would balance openness with sovereignty through a risk-based, non-discriminatory framework that lets t How does CADA complement EU data-centre energy and grid rules? The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would not impose new energy-consumption limits on data centres. How does CADA define its scope of cloud and AI? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) defines its scope by anchoring key terms to existing EU law — chiefly the NIS2 Directive and the AI Ac How does CADA fit the EU's International Digital Strategy? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is designed to be fully compatible with the EU's June 2025 Communication on an International Digital S How does CADA protect EU data confidentiality and sovereignty? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would protect EU data confidentiality through a harmonised sovereignty framework built on four "Union How does CADA relate to DORA for financial-sector cloud? The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) operate in complementary but distinct spheres. How does CADA relate to NIS2? The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) and the NIS2 Directive (Directive (EU) 2022/2555) would operate as complementary pillars: NIS2 mandates te How does CADA relate to the AI Act? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) and the EU AI Act are complementary instruments addressing different layers. How does CADA relate to the Cybersecurity Act and EUCS? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) complements the Cybersecurity Act (CSA) by adding a sovereignty layer on top of technical cybersecurit How does CADA relate to the Data Act? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) and the Data Act play complementary but distinct roles in EU digital policy. How does CADA relate to the Digital Decade Policy Programme? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would complement the Digital Decade Policy Programme rather than replace it. How does CADA relate to the EU Open Source Strategy? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would operationalise key elements of the EU Open Source Strategy by embedding open-source promotion in How does CADA satisfy proportionality? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) satisfies the principle of proportionality by adopting what its explanatory memorandum calls a "target How does CADA support EU startups and the cloud/AI scale-up ecosystem? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would support EU startups and the scale-up ecosystem through three main levers: Experience and Acceler How does CADA support the public sector's move to cloud? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would establish a framework to accelerate public-sector cloud adoption: standardised "Union assurance How does the Draghi report relate to CADA? The Draghi report — The future of European competitiveness (September 2024) — is a strategic document that helped justify the proposed Cloud and AI Develop How is CADA being adopted? The EU legislative procedure explained The Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is a proposal — COM(2026) 502 final, procedure number 2026/0138 (COD) — moving through the ordinary legislative pro How is CADA governed and what committee oversees it? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would empower the European Commission to keep its technical rules current through delegated and implem How is CADA structured? An overview of its Titles The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is organised into five Titles. Is CADA a regulation or a directive? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is a Regulation, not a Directive. Is CADA mandatory or voluntary? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is a hybrid: it combines binding obligations on Member States and public authorities with a voluntary, Is CADA part of the EU's Digital Decade and AI Continent vision? Yes — as proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is a central building block of the EU's "AI Continent" ambition and the Digital Decade Policy Pr Is CADA the same as the EU Chips Act? No - the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is not the same as the EU Chips Act. Is my organisation affected by CADA? How to check your scope If your organisation operates in the EU cloud and AI ecosystem, the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would likely affect you — but your obligat Is the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) in force yet? No — the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is not yet in force. What are 'grand challenges' under CADA? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), "grand challenges" are large-scale, cross-sectoral initiatives addressing major technological and i What are the Cloud and AI Leadership Initiatives under CADA? The Cloud and AI Leadership Initiatives are the main supply-side mechanism proposed under the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) to strengthen Europe's te What are the Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI under CADA? As proposed, the Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI ("Centres for AI") under the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would be regional hubs to acce What are the five measures CADA establishes? As proposed in Article 1(1) of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), the Regulation would establish a framework to strengthen the EU's cloud and AI ecos What are the four sovereignty tiers (Union assurance levels) in CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would establish a "Union cloud computing sovereignty framework" of four tiers — Union assurance levels What are the objectives of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA)? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) has two distinct, complementary general objectives, set out in Article 1. What are the penalties for breaching CADA? TL;DR As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) does not set EU-wide fine amounts for breaches of its cloud computing sovereignty chapter. What are the three core problems CADA tries to solve? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) targets three structural weaknesses in the EU's digital infrastructure: a deficit in domestic computin What are the transparency obligations introduced by CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would require cloud computing service providers recognised under the Union assurance framework to main What are the two general objectives of CADA under Article 1? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) sets out two distinct general objectives in Article 1. What does CADA mean by 'control' of a cloud provider? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), "control" is not defined from scratch but imported: Article 2(21) of the proposal defines "control" What does CADA mean by 'ecosystem approach'? As proposed in the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), an "ecosystem approach" is a coordinated, EU-wide strategy combining supply-side measures to boost What does CADA mean for cloud service providers? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would reshape the EU public-sector market for cloud service providers by creating a four-tier "Union a What does CADA mean for compliance and legal teams? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would add a new layer of obligations for in-house legal and compliance teams, centred on cloud soverei What does CADA mean for CTOs and cloud architects? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would turn cloud architecture from a purely technical exercise into a sovereignty and compliance manda What does CADA mean for data centre operators? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would reshape the regulatory landscape for EU data centre operators by streamlining deployment and enf What does CADA mean for hyperscalers operating in Europe? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would directly affect hyperscalers operating in Europe by establishing a four-tier sovereignty framewo What does CADA mean for public-sector cloud buyers? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would change how public authorities buy cloud services. What does CADA mean for SMEs and startups in the EU cloud market? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) includes several provisions aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small mid-c What does CADA mean for the average EU citizen? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would affect EU citizens mainly indirectly, by making the public services they rely on - healthcare, j What does CADA say about open source? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would have the Union and Member States encourage public bodies to use and facilitate the reuse of open What does each Title of CADA cover? A structure guide The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is structured into five Titles. What does 'reducing dependencies on critical technologies' mean in CADA? As proposed, "reducing dependencies on critical technologies" — one of CADA's stated measures (Article 1(1)(d)) — means steering public-sector cloud and AI What does the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) do? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would establish a comprehensive EU framework to strengthen Europe's cloud and AI ecosystem — boosting What happens if a Member State fails to implement CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would be a directly applicable EU Regulation, so Member States would not transpose it into national la What is a cloud computing service provider under CADA? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), a "cloud computing service provider" is a legal entity that provides a cloud computing service (Art What is Article 114 TFEU and why does CADA rely on it? Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) empowers the EU to adopt harmonisation measures improving the functioning of the What is Article 173(3) TFEU and how does CADA use it as a legal basis? Article 173(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) lets the EU adopt measures that strengthen the competitiveness and innovation What is a sovereign cloud under CADA? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), a "sovereign cloud" is not a product but a service that meets harmonised criteria designed to safeg What is CADA's data centre deployment framework at a high level? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would create a harmonised EU framework to accelerate sustainable data centre deployment — part of an a What is cloud sovereignty and why does it matter for the EU under CADA? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), cloud sovereignty is about more than where data is stored — it covers the Union's ability to keep c What is operational continuity and why is it a CADA concern? As proposed, operational continuity under the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is about more than technical uptime: it concerns the risk that cloud serv What is the AI Continent Action Plan, and how does it relate to CADA? The AI Continent Action Plan (COM(2025) 165 final, 9 April 2025) is the EU's strategic roadmap for European AI leadership, built around a nexus of five dom What is the AI Leadership Initiative under CADA? The AI Leadership Initiative is one of the two Cloud and AI Leadership Initiatives established under Article 1(1)(a) of the proposed Cloud and AI Developme What is the Apply AI Strategy and how does CADA support it? The Apply AI Strategy (COM(2025) 723 final, 8 October 2025) is the European Commission's roadmap to accelerate AI adoption across industry and the public s What is the CADA central repository of sovereign cloud services? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), the European Commission would establish and maintain a central repository of cloud computing servic What is the CADA implementation timeline? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal and apply one year later (Art What is the CADA sovereignty risk assessment (Article 29)? As proposed, Article 29 of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would require Member States and Union entities to carry out mandatory sovereignty risk a What is the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA)? The Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is a proposed EU regulation that aims to strengthen Europe's cloud and artificial-intelligence ecosystem. What is the Cloud Leadership Initiative under CADA? The Cloud Leadership Initiative, as proposed under the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), is part of the EU framework to strengthen technological autonom What is the EU data-centre capacity gap that CADA addresses? The EU data-centre capacity gap is the shortfall between the computing infrastructure the Union has and what it needs — a shortfall that pushes European us What is the EuroCloud Federation in CADA? As proposed under Article 34 of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), the EuroCloud Federation (the "European public sector cloud federation") is a volu What is the EU Tech Sovereignty package and how does CADA fit in? The EU's tech sovereignty agenda is not a single law but a coordinated set of measures to secure Europe's digital autonomy, reduce dependence on third coun What is the national cloud and AI strategy required by CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) requires every EU Member State to establish a national cloud and AI strategy within one year of the re What is the official name and document number of CADA? The official title of the proposal known as CADA is the "Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework o What is the one-sentence summary of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA)? The Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), proposed as COM(2026) 502 final, is an EU legislative framework that would strengthen Europe's cloud and AI ecosys What is the preferred policy option behind CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) adopts a comprehensive, integrated policy option that combines supply-side measures to boost domestic What is the relationship between CADA and the Preparedness Union Strategy? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) supports the Preparedness Union Strategy by treating dependence on critical digital infrastructure as What is the role of public order in CADA? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), safeguarding public order is a core objective driving the sovereign-cloud framework. What is the role of the European Commission under CADA? Under the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), the European Commission acts as the central coordinator for EU cloud sovereignty, infrastructure de What is the subsidiarity justification for CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is justified on subsidiarity grounds because, in the Commission's view, Member States acting alone can What is the territorial scope of CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is an EU Regulation — directly applicable and binding in its entirety across all Member States, and ma What legal basis does CADA use? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) rests on a cumulative dual legal basis: Article 114 TFEU (internal-market harmonisation) and Article 1 What policy options did the Commission consider for CADA? The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA, COM(2026) 502 final) is accompanied by a Commission impact assessment that received a positive opinion (wi What problem drivers does CADA's impact assessment identify? The evidence base behind the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) identifies three core problem drivers undermining the EU's digital autonomy: a shortage of When does CADA enter into force and start to apply? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the Europe When must Member States act under CADA? Key deadlines As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) sets deadlines for Member States that run from the Regulation's entry into force, not its later applic When was the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) proposed? The Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) was proposed by the European Commission on 3 June 2026, under the reference COM(2026) 502 final (procedure 2026/013 When will CADA be reviewed? Article 47 review clause explained As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) requires the European Commission to evaluate the regulation and report to the European Parliament, the Where can I read the official text of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA)? The official text of the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is the Commission proposal COM(2026) 502 final, dated 3 June 2026. Who does the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) apply to? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) reaches a broad set of actors: cloud computing service providers, data centre operators, Member States Who enforces CADA? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) sets up a decentralised enforcement model built around national competent authorities designated by ea Why can't existing EU laws already solve cloud sovereignty? (CADA) Existing EU legislation addresses fragments of the cloud ecosystem — data protection, market fairness, cybersecurity, switching — but none establishes a ha Why does CADA focus so heavily on the public sector? As proposed, CADA focuses on the public sector because public buyers are the strongest demand-side lever for building European cloud sovereignty and protec Why does CADA have two legal bases (Articles 114 and 173(3) TFEU)? As proposed, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) rests on a dual legal basis: Article 114 and Article 173(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the Eu Why is the EU dependent on non-EU cloud providers? The EU relies heavily on non-European cloud providers because it lacks enough competitive domestic capacity: three non-EU hyperscalers control over 70% of Why was the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) proposed? The Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) was proposed to fix two linked problems: the EU does not have enough of its own computing capacity, and it relies h