> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rootkey.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# European Data Sovereignty

> ROOTKey's infrastructure stack, sovereignty levels by deployment configuration, and the 100% EU-sovereign mode using EBSI and OVH - for organisations with strict data residency requirements.

## Overview

Data sovereignty means that data is subject to the laws of the country in which it is processed and stored - and that no foreign government, court, or authority can compel access without the knowledge and consent of the data owner under EU law.

For organisations subject to **NIS2**, **GDPR**, national critical infrastructure regulations, or sector-specific requirements (healthcare, defence, financial services), this is not a preference - it is a requirement.

ROOTKey's infrastructure is designed to support sovereignty at multiple levels - from standard EU-region cloud deployments to a fully EU-sovereign configuration using no US-operated infrastructure at any stage of the pipeline.

***

## Infrastructure Stack

ROOTKey's platform is built on a combination of cloud and blockchain infrastructure. The choice of infrastructure determines the sovereignty level of the deployment:

| Component                     | Provider    | Sovereignty level   | Notes                                                                                              |
| ----------------------------- | ----------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Blockchain (default)**      | Polygon     | Global              | Public PoS network - distributed globally; no single jurisdiction controls the network             |
| **Blockchain (EU sovereign)** | EBSI        | EU                  | European Blockchain Services Infrastructure - operated by the European Commission; EU jurisdiction |
| **Cloud (standard)**          | Azure / AWS | EU-region available | Microsoft and Amazon are US-incorporated; EU CLOUD Act exposure remains                            |
| **Cloud (EU sovereign)**      | OVH         | EU                  | French company; SecNumCloud certified; no US parent company; fully EU jurisdiction                 |

***

## Sovereignty Levels

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Standard" icon="globe">
    **Azure or AWS** (EU regions) + **Polygon**

    Data remains in EU geographically but is subject to US jurisdiction via the CLOUD Act. Suitable for most commercial deployments where EU data residency (not strict sovereignty) is the requirement.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enhanced EU" icon="eu">
    **OVH** + **Polygon**

    Cloud infrastructure is fully EU-sovereign (OVH, no US parent). Blockchain anchoring uses Polygon (global network). Suitable for organisations where cloud sovereignty is required but blockchain jurisdiction is not a specific concern.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Full EU Sovereign" icon="shield-halved">
    **OVH** + **EBSI**

    100% EU jurisdiction at every stage - cloud, storage, and blockchain. No data or proof leaves EU legal jurisdiction at any point. Available on request for organisations with national security, critical infrastructure, or strict regulatory requirements.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Protocol Sovereignty Matrix

| Protocol                                                 | Default blockchain         | Default cloud | Enhanced EU   | Full EU Sovereign |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ----------------- |
| [RKP-1 (Full On-Chain)](/pages/protocols/rkp-1-on-chain) | Polygon                    | Azure / AWS   | OVH + Polygon | OVH + EBSI        |
| [RKP-2 (Off-Chain)](/pages/protocols/rkp-2-off-chain)    | -                          | Azure / AWS   | OVH           | OVH               |
| [RKP-3 (Hybrid)](/pages/protocols/rkp-3-hybrid)          | Polygon (on-chain portion) | Azure / AWS   | OVH + Polygon | OVH + EBSI        |

For RKP-2, all anchoring is off-chain - sovereignty is determined entirely by the cloud provider. For RKP-1 and RKP-3, both the cloud and blockchain infrastructure must be EU-sovereign for the full EU configuration.

***

## What Changes in Full EU Sovereign Mode

### Blockchain: EBSI instead of Polygon

**EBSI** (European Blockchain Services Infrastructure) is the EU's own distributed ledger infrastructure, operated by the European Commission in collaboration with EU member states. Unlike public blockchains, EBSI:

* Is operated under EU law by EU public authorities
* Has nodes located within EU member state infrastructure
* Is used for EU government-grade applications including the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW)

Anchoring to EBSI instead of Polygon means the blockchain record itself is subject to EU jurisdiction - there is no US-incorporated infrastructure in the chain at any point.

### Cloud: OVH instead of Azure / AWS

**OVH** is Europe's largest cloud provider. Incorporated in France, with no US parent company, OVH is:

* Subject exclusively to EU and French law
* SecNumCloud-certified - France's highest national cloud security qualification (ANSSI)
* Operated from EU-based data centres

Using OVH means that off-chain data storage, API processing, and platform operations are all outside the jurisdiction of US law enforcement and the CLOUD Act.

***

## Regulatory Frameworks That Require or Benefit From Sovereignty

| Framework                | Sovereignty relevance                                                                                                                            |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **GDPR**                 | Processing of personal data must be lawful - transfers outside EEA require adequate safeguards; EU-sovereign deployment eliminates transfer risk |
| **NIS2**                 | Critical entity operators may be subject to national requirements for data sovereignty in sensitive infrastructure                               |
| **EU Cybersecurity Act** | Certification schemes (EUCS) increasingly require EU-sovereign cloud for high-assurance levels                                                   |
| **DORA**                 | ICT third-party risk - US CLOUD Act exposure is a material risk for financial entities under ECB scrutiny                                        |
| **French SecNumCloud**   | OVH is SecNumCloud-certified - satisfies ANSSI requirements for hosting sensitive French government and regulated data                           |
| **German BSI C5**        | OVH holds BSI C5 attestation - satisfies German federal cloud security requirements                                                              |
| **Healthcare (EU)**      | Clinical trial data and patient records processed under EU CTR and GDPR benefit from EU-sovereign infrastructure                                 |

***

## Requesting Full EU Sovereign Deployment

Full EU sovereign mode (EBSI + OVH) is available on request for organisations with demonstrated sovereignty requirements. The configuration involves:

1. A dedicated tenancy on OVH infrastructure
2. EBSI network configuration for blockchain anchoring
3. Modified API endpoints scoped to the sovereign deployment
4. SLA and data processing agreements under EU law exclusively

Contact our team to discuss your requirements and initiate a sovereignty assessment.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Request a data sovereignty consultation" icon="calendar" href="https://rootkey.ai/contact?utm_source=api_docs&utm_medium=data_sovereignty&utm_content=demo_cta">
    We'll assess your regulatory environment and design a ROOTKey deployment configuration that meets your sovereignty requirements.
  </Card>

  <Card title="View compliance coverage" icon="shield-check" href="/compliance/overview">
    Full mapping of ROOTKey capabilities to EU regulatory frameworks that drive sovereignty requirements.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>