European cloud providers are being urged to adopt a newly created open source infrastructure management application programming interface (API) designed to make it easier for customers to move workloads and applications between competing off-premise platforms.
The Sovereign Europe Cloud API (SECA) is freely available to all European cloud providers to adopt and contribute to the development of, and has been co-created by suppliers Aruba S.p.A, Ionos and Dynamo.
The offering is being touted by its creators as a tool to enhance interoperability so that users can run workloads and applications in the European cloud environments of their choice.
“It also ensures seamless access to the respective platforms, while upholding the highest levels of security, control, and data sovereignty in full compliance with stringent European standards,” said its creators, in a statement. “At the same time, this will enable enterprises to leverage integrated solutions that drive greater efficiency and innovation, all while ensuring full compliance with European regulations.”
Web hosting companies Aruba and Ionos have committed to becoming the first two European cloud service providers to roll out the SECA API to their customers.
Achim Weiss, CEO of Ionos, said the API will ensure its customers, which are predominantly SMEs, will have the “digital independence” they need to thrive during the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
“AI and cloud are transforming the global economy, and Europe cannot afford to be left behind,” Weiss said. “Europe needs a strong, sovereign digital ecosystem. SECA is a critical step in building a secure, independent and future-proof digital infrastructure – one that keeps Europe strong, competitive and in control.”
Stefano Cecconi, CEO of Aruba S.p.A, added: “The creation of these common APIs – with Aruba and IONOS as first movers – marks a pivotal and voluntary step for the European cloud industry towards enhanced interoperability, strengthening the continent’s cloud services ecosystem.”
The third participant in the creation of SECA is Dynamo, which is a company that offers an all-in-one platform that brings together multiple cloud service providers from across Europe, and has committed to offering connectors based on SECA to automate the provisioning process for all compatible providers joining its network.
Dynamo CEO Francesco Bonfiglio, said the offering of sovereign APIs such as SECA represent the offering of a “a strong handshake of trust between customers and providers”.
The timing of the API’s creation is notable, as matters of data sovereignty are increasingly top of mind for European cloud providers and their customers, as concerns about entrusting all of their data and workloads to US tech giants, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft, rise.
In recent weeks, this movement has seen the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) trade body announce a shake-up of its governance structure, with greater emphasis on championing the interests of the continent’s homegrown cloud services providers.
The organisation announced an update to its articles of association on 13 February 2025 that means only European cloud providers are permitted to hold board positions at CISPE. The rule change resulted in US cloud giant Amazon Web Services (AWS) stepping down as a board member, meaning it now has no sway over the organisation’s governance or direction, because only board members have the right to vote on such matters at CISPE.
At the start of 2025, details of the EuroStack initiative also emerged, which is geared towards creating an open, interoperable and sovereign digital infrastructure for Europe, which will – incidentally – be supported by the SECA API and Dynamo.
According to its creators, EuroStack will provide the building blocks for Europe to build its own cloud ecosystem, independent of external control, and that will underpin a competitive, sustainable and democratic digital economy.
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