EU considers more aggressive cloud computing strategy.

• Position: CLOUD

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The European Union (EU) is not doing enough to spur the development of cloud computing and the EU's role in that market. That was the central point made by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the consultative body to the European Commission (EC), in its report to the commission in January.

Last September, the EC released a communication on "unleashing the potential of cloud computing in Europe." While the EESC agrees with the EC's intent, it contends the EC's approach does not go far enough in helping the EU realize that potential. Promoting its uptake isn't enough.

EESC members proposed an alternative strategy in which the EU would "help businesses and public administrations to become 'cloud active' by offering cloud-based services and make Europe 'cloud productive' by providing cloud infrastructure," stated EESC's Eric Pigal, according to Computer Week. Only then can the EU realize the cloud's potential.

At the time, the EC said the strategy introduced last fall would improve and increase the use of cloud computing in the EU and that the cloud could generate about 900 billion [euro] (about $1.2 trillion U.S.) and an additional 3.8 mil lion jobs across the EU by 2020.

EESC supported the commission's call for an EU-wide certification scheme for cloud providers that would thereby create...