Amazon Web Services has launched an independent cloud service for Europe entirely located within the EU.

AWS European Sovereign Cloud, which is physically separate to other AWS regions, is initially launching in Germany, with plans to expand the service across Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Amazon said the move aims to provide an independently operated sovereign cloud backed by strong technical controls, sovereign assurances, and legal protections designed to meet the needs of European governments and enterprises for sensitive data.

The architecture is supported by advanced encryption and key management services, as well as operational controls that aim to ensure transparency and security, offering high resilience, security and availability, the company added.

To ensure continuity in extreme circumstances, authorised AWS European Sovereign Cloud employees residing in the EU will have independent access in exceptional cases to a replica of the source code necessary to maintain The cloud services.

AWS has launched its first AWS cloud region in Brandenburg, Germany.

As part of its long-term commitment, Amazon said it plans to invest more than €7.8 billion in the AWS European Sovereign Cloud in Germany, supporting an average of 2,800 full-time equivalent jobs annually and adding approximately €17.2 billion to Germany’s GDP.

AWS also announced new plans to extend the AWS European cloud from Germany across the EU aim to support stringent isolation, in-country data residency, and low latency requirements.

AWS chose Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands for its cloud expansion, with the move aiming to provide organisations with additional options to deploy workloads in the cloud with the highest level of sovereignty and operational independence.

Stéphane Israël, managing director of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and digital sovereignty, said the move comes as Europe needs “access to the most robust cloud and AI technologies.”

“The expansion of AWS innovation across Europe will help supercharge customers’ growth and AI ambitions," Israël said.

“By building a cloud that is European in its infrastructure, operations, and governance, we're empowering organisations to innovate with confidence while maintaining complete control over their digital assets,” she added.

With the launch, Stefan Hoechbauer, vice president of AWS Global Sales Germany and Europe Central, has been appointed as a managing director of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

Hoechbauer will work closely with Israël, who will lead the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and be responsible for management and operations.

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