Mikołaj Barczentewicz Cited by Bruegel on Europe’s AI Compute Shortfall
Bruegel cited an issue brief by ICLE Senior Scholar of Innovation Policy Mikołaj Barczentewicz in a policy brief on Europe’s AI computing shortfall. The piece examines how slow permitting and limited grid access constrain new data centers, and whether the EU’s proposed sovereignty requirements could raise costs and reduce competition among cloud providers. Read the full policy brief here.
These four levels of sovereignty criteria would progressively reduce the geographic scope of allowed locations for data centres and AI compute infrastructure, software development and personnel sourcing. By restricting the eligible supplier pool and adding auditing and certification obligations, CADA would raise providers’ compliance costs, reduce competition and likely increase the price of compliant cloud services. Most US hyperscalers already offer ‘sovereign’ cloud services in the EU; these services do not necessarily meet the four CADA criteria but go somewhat in that direction (Barczentewicz, 2026).
Barczentewicz, M. (2026) ‘Europe’s Sovereignty Stack: CADA, Compute, and the Limits of Autarky’, ICLE Issue Brief 2026-06-15, International Center for Law & Economics, available at https://laweconcenter.org/resources/europes-sovereignty-stack-cada-compute-and-the-limits-of-autarky/