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AmCham EU’s 13th Annual Transatlantic Digital Economy Conference took place on Thursday, 5 November, under the theme Cutting through complexity. The event brought together policymakers, regulators and industry leaders to discuss how clear, workable frameworks and closer EU-US cooperation can bring more coherence to the digital landscape and support economic growth.

The Dual-Use Regulation gives Europe a common framework for economic security, but divergent national implementation is weakening it. The same transaction can be assessed differently depending on the Member State, with guidance on cloud and software-as-a-service transfers remains unclear. Licensing processes, meanwhile, still assume a physical consignment rather than digital workflows, which sits poorly with how integrated global businesses operate. Companies bear the added cost and legal uncertainty, while the security benefit is limited. A single EU-wide approach to intangible transfers and closer alignment with the US and UK would make controls more predictable and let authorities focus on genuine risks. Read how the revision of the Dual-Use Regulation can deliver a harmonised and future-proof framework for Europe.

The success of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) will depend on whether its sovereignty framework strengthens Europe’s resilience and competitiveness without restricting access to the technologies, providers and operating models needed to support the bloc’s digital transformation. As currently envisaged, several elements of CADA introduce origin-based restrictions that are not necessarily linked to genuine sovereignty, security or resilience risks. These measures could reduce competition, increase costs and slow cloud and AI adoption – ultimately working against CADA’s underlying objectives.

A sovereignty framework built on objective, risk-based criteria will better support Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and digital transformation than one based on origin, ownership or nationality.