The EU and Brazil are formalising a digital partnership to cooperate on data, connectivity, cybersecurity and the protection of minors, announced by EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen at the Web Summit in Rio. Brazil joins Canada, Japan, South Korea and Singapore as the fifth country in the EU's digital cooperation network. The agreement builds on the EU-Mercosur trade deal and is part of the EU's push for tech sovereignty to reduce dependence on U.S. cloud providers that together hold roughly 70% of the market.
EU Deepens Digital Partnership With Brazil to Wean Off U.S. Tech
FILE PHOTO: EU sets out plans to boost cybersecurity of healthcare sector
The European Union and Brazil are formalising a digital partnership focused on cooperation in data, connectivity, cybersecurity and the protection of minors, Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's tech chief, said on Thursday at the Web Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, told reporters the pact aims to create new opportunities for businesses on both sides and to build resilient, human-centric technologies.
Why It Matters
Brazil becomes the fifth country to join the EU's digital cooperation network, after Canada, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The move builds on the recent EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement and reflects the bloc's wider strategy to reduce strategic dependencies in critical areas such as chip manufacturing and cloud services.
"That is something that we want to do with our trusted partners. Create better opportunities for businesses on both sides, especially now that we have the Mercosur trade agreement with Brazil," Virkkunen said.
Tech Sovereignty And Cloud Dependence
Virkkunen highlighted that Europe currently relies heavily on three U.S. cloud providers—Amazon, Google and Microsoft—which together account for about 70% of the EU cloud market. To address this, the European Commission has launched a tech sovereignty package with measures to strengthen home-grown capabilities, including European cloud services.
She warned of a potential "kill switch element" if Europe remains overly dependent on external providers, arguing that deeper partnerships can help both sides stay competitive while protecting critical infrastructure.
Virkkunen was scheduled to meet Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin later that day and to continue discussions in Brasilia where the agreement was expected to be signed. The pact signals closer EU-Brazil ties and a strategic shift by the EU to diversify technology partnerships beyond the United States.
Help us improve.
