Alix Guillard

— On the schedule —

Open Source: The Road to EU Sovereignty

Digital sovereignty is about controlling data, infrastructure, and standards through autonomy, not protectionism. The EU’s 2026 Open Source Strategy marks a turning point by recognizing open source as a strategic tool for independence. However, the preparatory text has critical weaknesses: loopholes for proprietary vendors, weak enforcement, and insufficient support for European small and medium-sized enterprises.US tech dependence poses clear risks through the dominance of US hyperscalers and extraterritorial laws such as the Cloud Act and PRISM. The Commission’s proposal offers promising advances but also significant gaps. Now, Europe must convince MEPs and governments that open source is not just a technical choice—it is a geopolitical necessity. Czechia must take advantage of this European initiative to reinforce its know-how and build its own digital sovereignty. This session will analyse the EU’s proposal, examine the gaps in the Commission’s text, explore how to leverage the EU’s momentum, and explain why Czechia needs an Open Source Alliance to educate, promote, and drive policy change. Audience: Developers, activists, and Czech business leaders.