Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a new cloud infrastructure fully located and operated within the European Union and announced the creation of a sovereign AWS Local Zone in Portugal.
The new cloud is physically and administratively separate from other AWS regions, designed to meet strict EU requirements on data sovereignty, residency, security, and low latency. It is operated exclusively by EU residents and governed under European law.
Portugal joins Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands in this expansion, extending sovereignty controls beyond the German core region to a broader European scale. The Portuguese Local Zone allows organizations to store data locally and run latency-sensitive applications while accessing AWS cloud and AI services.
The European Sovereign Cloud complements AWS’s six existing EU regions and initially offers 90+ services, including computing, storage, networking, security, containers, and AI. Additional options include Dedicated Local Zones, Outposts, and AI Factories, including on-premises deployments.
AWS says the initiative supports governments and highly regulated sectors such as public administration, healthcare, finance, defense, energy, and telecoms. Technology partners already using the cloud include Accenture, Capgemini, SAP, and Kyndryl.
According to AWS, the expansion strengthens Europe’s digital autonomy while allowing organizations to innovate without losing control over sensitive data.
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