Enhanced majorities for European and SME members underline CISPE’s support for Europe’s cloud providers.
25 October 2024, Brussels — CISPE has made changes to its governance, reinforcing its European identity. Following a vote at the General Assembly held in Lisbon on 18 October a minimum of 75% of board seats are now reserved for companies headquartered in Europe (including the UK) and categorised as SMEs. Furthermore, 75% of all members must be based in Europe or the UK. These new requirements, increased from 50% previously, underline CISPE’s commitment to speaking for European providers on the issues that matter to Europe as the organisation’s membership expands.
These governance changes, plus campaigning funds and a robust new membership fee structure adopted by the association, underline CISPE’s position as the only trade body exclusively representing the interest of European cloud infrastructure service providers and their customers. It intends to capitalise on its existing reputation and the strength of its European membership to campaign vigorously for the sector’s interests with legislators, regulators and other stakeholders across the continent.
The General Assembly also outlined a new program focused on key issues for Europe’s cloud sector, including:
- Federated Infrastructure: Supporting cloud infrastructures that empower European cloud SMEs and customers to build solutions that align with European values.
- Simplified Compliance: Automating regulatory compliance to ease the burden on both vendors and customers. CISPE will continue to support Gaia-X.
- Challenging Over- Regulation: Campaigning to prevent the proposed Digital Networks Act from harming Europe’s cloud ecosystem.
- Fair Competition: Establishing the European Cloud Competition Observatory to ensure dominant software vendors don’t impose unfair licensing terms on cloud customers and European cloud providers.
- Climate-Neutral Cloud: Supporting regulations that help deliver a climate-neutral cloud by 2030.
Francisco Mingorance, CISPE Secretary General, said:
These are exciting times. We have the opportunity and the financial security to transform what the Draghi report saw as weaknesses of Europe’s cloud sector into new strengths. CISPE members can drive growth in the EU and worldwide with innovative cloud services that reinforce European values across the global digital economy. Now is the time for CISPE to reinforce its programmes to shape a cloud market that truly benefits Europe’s diverse ecosystem of cloud service providers.