The European Commission has opened an inquiry into the practical effects in Europe of U.S. export-control measures that have impacted access to services provided by the artificial intelligence developer Anthropic.
Anthropic announced on Friday that it would immediately block access to its most advanced artificial intelligence models for users, after the U.S. government instructed the company to suspend access by foreign nationals on national security grounds.
Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission, said in a statement on Sunday that while the new generation of high-capability AI models offers significant benefits, they also raise serious cybersecurity risks that must be addressed. He emphasized that, in the Commission's view, such measures must not be discriminatory toward partner countries.
Regnier added that the episode is another example of why Europe needs to strengthen its technological sovereignty. Brussels is currently assessing the specific impact of the restrictions on European users.
The ongoing review aims to clarify the practical consequences and how the European market is affected when a foreign service provider limits access on national security grounds. According to the Commission, EU policies should ensure that national security measures do not result in unjustified discrimination against international partners.
Why this matters
The issue has a practical dimension—affecting European researchers, companies and users who rely on these services—and a policy dimension, with implications for the EU’s technology strategy and efforts to bolster sovereignty. The Commission’s probe is expected to provide a clearer picture of necessary steps to manage risks and access problems.
(Note: the timeline references in this article follow the days mentioned in the source; no exact calendar dates were provided.)
