The European Data Flow Monitoring

Analysing, mapping, quantifying, and monitoring volume of cloud data flows and their associated economic values within and outside of the EU in the area of cloud computing is fundamental to support decision-making, industrial choices and investment decisions. It is also key to assessing the competitiveness of the European digital economy based on the analysis of data flow patterns and to the monitoring of the movement of data against the free flow of non-personal data principle across the EU economy. Knowing the volume and value of cloud data flows will help to achieve the Cloud and Edge Digital Decade's targets by 2030.

To provide economic intelligence in data flows in the area of cloud computing, the Commission created a Cloud Data Flow Strategic Visualisation Tool.

The tool allows the Commission to:

1. map and estimate the volume and economic value of main data flows in the area of cloud computing across the EU 27 Member States (i.e. intra-EU data flows) and with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (i.e. extra-EU data flows);
2. forecast data outflows up to 2030;
3. analyse volume of data flows per sector, company size and countries.

The map and graphs provide comparative country data flow and outflow forecasts from 2016 up to 2030 where data are available.

The Cloud Data Flow Strategic Visualisation Tool comprises data from 31 countries in Europe. It will be used to monitor data flow trends including volumes and their economic values within these countries. It also presents data on cloud uptake per sector, country and company size up to 2030. The tool can also be useful as strategic foresight instrument to support future decision-making, trade and investment decisions in cloud computing based on data flow evidence. 

The data presented in the Cloud Data Flow Strategic Visualisation Tool are from 2016 with forecasts until 2030. The data collection sources used are ranging from primary sources such as official statistical data to secondary sources such as surveys and interviews. The novel methodology developed for providing this tool was first developed in the 2021 report of the Commission's study 'Mapping Data Flows'.

The methodology underpinning the tool was enhanced in 2022 to include an Analytical Framework that now allows the quantification of the economic values of data flows and to estimate extra-EU data flows with key trade partners beyond the existing available quantification and mapping of volume of cloud data flows. The methodological enhancements and the Analytical Framework to estimate the economic values of cloud data flows are described in the 2023 report of the Commission’s study ‘Economic Values of Data Flows’.

Background Information

In 2019, to build the European Data Flow Monitoring, the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CONNECT), in collaboration with the Joint Research Centre launched a first company and public entity voluntary survey (now closed) to gather aggregated and anonymised data on:

• the amount of data stored within cloud infrastructures by companies and public entities within the EU (i.e. data stocks);
• the volume of data moved from one cloud infrastructure to another across the EU.

The 2020 European Strategy for Data recognised the strategic importance of gaining economic intelligence on data flows and so put forward the development of a Data Flow Strategic Analytical Framework. To deliver on this key action, the Commission conducted two studies: ‘Mapping Data Flows’ and 'Economic Values of Data Flows'. The first study develops and tests for the very first time a new, self-sustained and replicable methodology to quantify volume of data flows. The second develops a first of its kind Analytical Framework to measure the economic value of data flows. Data developed by both studies in terms of volume and economic value of data flows are embedded into the Cloud Data Flow Strategic Visualisation Tool.

The tool allows to geographically see online the countries and economic sectors that trigger cloud data flows. It also allows for analysis of cloud data flows and their associated economic value per sector, geography and enterprise size across 31 countries in Europe. It also shows online current and forecasts up to 2030 of cloud uptake per sectors, Member States and company types and points to key economic partners.