The estimated cost of Europe's dependence on foreign digital infrastructure is 264 billion euros.

Omissions

• The claim omits that the €264 billion is an annual recurring figure, not a one-time cost. The European Commission states the EU spends 'around €264 billion' per year on non-EU digital products and services.
• The claim does not cite the source of the figure. The data originates from the European Commission's Tech Sovereignty Package published on 3 June 2026, and was also referenced in a 2025 European Parliament study on digital dependencies.
• The claim frames the figure as a 'cost of dependence' whereas the original sources describe it as annual spending on non-EU proprietary digital products, cloud services, and software — a subtle but meaningful distinction.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission — Remarks by EVP Virkkunen and Commissioner JørgensenYet, every year we spend around €264 billion on non-EU, proprietary digital products and services.
• PrimaryEuropean Parliament — Study on European Software and Cyber DependenciesThe EU's digital trade deficit exceeds EUR 100 billion annually; roughly EUR 264 billion per year (around 1.5% of EU GDP) flows to foreign cloud and software.
• SecondaryThe Conversation — Europe wants to limit its reliance on foreign techAround 80% of Europe's digital infrastructure and technology comes from outside the EU. An estimated €264 billion (£228 billion) a year is spent on foreign digital products and services.