🇪🇺 Cloud Sovereignty Framework — Provider Cards

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Greenhost

Netherlands · IaaS · https://greenhost.net

Sovereignty score65.2%
Global (unweighted)65.0%
Overall SEAL
SEAL-1 Jurisdictional Sovereignty
SOV-1 Strategic Sovereignty79.2SEAL-4
SOV-2 Legal & Jurisdictional Sovereignty79.1SEAL-2
SOV-3 Data & AI Sovereignty60.0SEAL-1
SOV-4 Operational Sovereignty75.0SEAL-3
SOV-5 Supply Chain Sovereignty46.6SEAL-1
SOV-6 Technology Sovereignty55.0SEAL-3
SOV-7 Security & Compliance Sovereignty50.0SEAL-1
SOV-8 Environmental Sustainability75.0SEAL-2

SOV-1 · Strategic Sovereignty 79.2% · SEAL-4 · weight 20%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-1.1EU/EEA legal entity control4. Entirely within the EU125/125SEAL-4higheu_entity: Greenhost B.V. incorporated/HQ in Amsterdam (Science Park 400), since Dec 2024 owned by The Sharing Group (Dutch steward-owned). Entity entirely within the EU -> opt4. (src: https://greenhost.net/contact/)
SOV-1.2Change of control risk4. Unlikely takeover/transfer to non-EU sovereign entity94/125SEAL-4mediumOwned by a Dutch steward-owned group explicitly building a European cloud alternative; non-EU takeover unlikely though not legally entrenched -> opt4.
SOV-1.3Control over roadmap4. Full influence of EU actors125/125SEAL-4mediumeu_entity: small EU-owned provider building its own open-source platform in-house; EU actors fully control the roadmap -> opt4 (4).
SOV-1.4Financial independence from non-EU capital5. Entirely EU-based funding125/125SEAL-4mediumFunded by Dutch steward-owned The Sharing Group; no evidence of non-EU capital -> effectively entirely EU-based funding -> opt5.
SOV-1.5EU economic contribution5. Fully in the EU125/125SEAL-4highOperations, staff, Amsterdam DC and parent group all in NL; economic contribution fully in the EU -> opt5.
SOV-1.6Participation in EU strategic programs2. Limited participation31/125SEAL-4lowNo documented Gaia-X / IPCEI-CIS participation; involvement in EU strategic programs limited -> opt2.
SOV-1.7Alignment with EU industrial strategies2. Existing action plan42/125SEAL-4mediumPositions as a European alternative with a sustainability/privacy action plan, but no measured governance/dedicated means -> existing action plan, opt2.
SOV-1.8Resilience to cut-off5. Full autonomy and continuity125/125SEAL-4mediumown_stack: owns/operates its own hardware on open-source stacks (Xen, Ceph) and can internalise/source alternatives; foreign chips are residual hardware only -> Full autonomy & continuity, opt5 (key SOV-1.8 own_stack lever).

SOV-2 · Legal & Jurisdictional Sovereignty 79.1% · SEAL-2 · weight 10%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-2.1Primary legal jurisdiction3. Exclusively EU law167/167SEAL-4highWholly Dutch company, NL-based operations -> subject exclusively to EU (Dutch) law -> opt3 (4). (src: https://greenhost.net/legal/privacy-policy/)
SOV-2.2Extraterritorial laws exposure4. Legal structures shielding from foreign law125/167SEAL-2mediumimmunity is structural-not-certified: pure-EU entity with no non-EU parent shields it from foreign law, but no SecNumCloud/EUCS-High verifying immunity -> opt4 'Legal structures shielding' (seal 2), not opt5.
SOV-2.3Data access pathways for non-EU authorities5. Requests always rejected by the provider167/167SEAL-4mediumimmunity / no foreign_parent: no non-EU parent or nexus, strong digital-rights posture; foreign authorities have no compelled-access pathway and provider would reject/challenge -> opt5 (4). (src: https://greenhost.net/legal/privacy-policy/)
SOV-2.4Export control restrictions3. Share of revenues >50% in the EU84/167SEAL-2lowEU provider with revenues overwhelmingly in the EU; no offer specifically shielded from export controls documented -> rests on >50% EU revenue threshold, opt3.
SOV-2.5Origin of IP4. Mostly within the EU125/167SEAL-4mediumPlatform software and in-house apps developed by the NL team on open-source foundations; IP mostly within the EU (upstream OSS international) -> opt4.
SOV-2.6IP holder jurisdiction4. EU law with exceptions125/167SEAL-4mediumIP Greenhost holds is under EU (Dutch) law; some upstream open-source IP carries non-EU licensing exceptions -> EU law with exceptions, opt4 (4).

SOV-3 · Data & AI Sovereignty 60.0% · SEAL-1 · weight 10%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-3.1Customer control over encryption keys3. Shared - provider has override keys100/200SEAL-2lowOptional encryption offered and privacy central, but on managed IaaS the provider retains admin access and can technically read data; no customer-exclusive HYOK so control is shared with provider override -> opt3 (shared). Normalised to the common OpenStack/managed-IaaS key-control posture across the pure-EU Benelux providers.
SOV-3.2Transparent data flows & access logs3. Logs exist but not real-time / vendor-controlled100/200SEAL-2lowControl panel and standard logging exist, but no real-time independently auditable access logs; logs vendor-controlled -> opt3 (2).
SOV-3.3Secure deletion & proof of erasure3. Internal validation per policy, no proof100/200SEAL-1lowStandard hosting deletion follows internal policy/teardown but no technically verified or independently audited proof of erasure -> internal validation per policy, opt3 (seal 1). Normalised to the other pure-EU Benelux providers (all policy-only deletion, same seal).
SOV-3.4Data location strictly in EU/EEA4. EU by default, tightly controlled exceptions150/200SEAL-1highNOT eu_exclusive (genuine differentiator vs the EU-exclusive cluster peers): Amsterdam DC is primary, but Greenhost's own 2021-2024 sustainability report documents East-Asia and (now-decommissioned 2025) Miami facilities with no contractual no-third-country-fallback guarantee -> EU by default with tightly controlled exceptions, opt4 (seal 1). (src: https://greenhost.net/sustainable/)
SOV-3.5AI services sovereignty4. EU-led AI, foreign accelerators150/200SEAL-3lowNo in-scope first-party AI service -> no foreign-AI dependency; key SOV-3.5 'no in-scope AI service' -> opt4 (3).

SOV-4 · Operational Sovereignty 75.0% · SEAL-3 · weight 15%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-4.1Portability & interoperability3. Standard documented data export methods84/167SEAL-4mediumBuilt on open standards/open-source (Xen, Ceph, standard images); standard documented export/migration paths exist, no formal managed migration service -> opt3 (4).
SOV-4.2Ability to operate without foreign dependencies5. Entire stack managed by fully EU-based team167/167SEAL-4higheu_ops: entire stack operated by Greenhost's own NL-based team; no foreign operational dependency -> opt5 (4).
SOV-4.3Skill availability in the EU4. All EU staff125/167SEAL-3mediumStaff based in NL; no documented security-clearance program -> all EU staff, opt4 (3).
SOV-4.4Support channels4. All support staff in EU125/167SEAL-3mediumSupport provided by the Dutch team in the EU; no non-EU outsourcing, no formal clearance program -> all support in EU, opt4 (3).
SOV-4.5Documentation & knowledge transfer4. EU-only primary repositories125/167SEAL-4lowDocumentation/knowledge maintained in-house in the EU; no non-EU repositories indicated -> EU-only primary repositories, opt4 (4).
SOV-4.6Subcontractor & supplier jurisdiction4. Ability to source alternatives or internalise125/167SEAL-3mediumown_stack: runs own hardware on open-source software; on loss of a subcontractor it can source alternatives/internalise, though some hardware suppliers non-EU -> opt4 (3).

SOV-5 · Supply Chain Sovereignty 46.6% · SEAL-1 · weight 10%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-5.1Origin of components (physical parts)2. Partial disclosure36/143SEAL-1lowUses Intel Xeon CPUs and SSD/Ceph storage of foreign origin; component provenance only partially disclosed -> opt2 (1).
SOV-5.2Manufacturing location2. Foreign origin, partial disclosure36/143SEAL-1mediumServer hardware (Intel Xeon, SSDs) manufactured outside the EU with only partial origin disclosure -> opt2 (1).
SOV-5.3Embedded code/firmware provenance2. Partial disclosure36/143SEAL-4lowFirmware/microcode in CPUs, drives and NICs is foreign/proprietary with only partial disclosure -> opt2 (4).
SOV-5.4Origin of software4. Large majority maintained by EU teams107/143SEAL-3mediumNOT foreign_core: platform is open-source (Xen, Ceph, HAProxy, GitLab) with in-house custom apps by the EU team; large majority of software stack EU-maintained or open/auditable -> opt4 (3).
SOV-5.5Software build/release jurisdiction4. EU control & execution107/143SEAL-3mediumIn-house software developed and released by the NL team (GitLab); build/release under EU control & execution, no documented formal policy gates -> opt4 (3).
SOV-5.6Single point of dependency3. Few non-EU in critical services / documented72/143SEAL-2lowForeign vendors for critical hardware (CPUs, drives) but open-source stack reduces lock-in; few non-EU in critical services, documented -> opt3 (2).
SOV-5.7Supply chain transparency3. Critical suppliers auditable72/143SEAL-2lowOperates own infrastructure with a known DC partner; critical suppliers identifiable/auditable but no full audited supply chain -> opt3 (2).

SOV-6 · Technology Sovereignty 55.0% · SEAL-3 · weight 15%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-6.1Interoperability & open interfaces4. Standards-based and broadly compatible150/200SEAL-3mediumBuilt on open-source components and standard interfaces (standard VMs, disk images, S3-compatible/Ceph); standards-based and broadly compatible -> opt4 (3).
SOV-6.2Open standards compliance4. Policy for most core services150/200SEAL-3mediumOpen standards across most core services (open-source virtualization, storage, networking); consistent though not formally certified for all -> opt4 (3).
SOV-6.3Open source availability3. Open source, centralised governance100/200SEAL-3mediumNOT foreign_core: relies on and contributes to open-source and builds open-source apps in-house, but deployment governance centralised in the provider -> open source, centralised governance, opt3 (3).
SOV-6.4Service architecture transparency3. Some public insight100/200SEAL-3lowSome public insight into architecture/open-source choices via blog/docs, not a large public corpus or customer co-development -> opt3 (3).
SOV-6.5HPC sovereignty2. EU-hosted, foreign stack50/200SEAL-3lowNo in-scope HPC offering -> EU-hosted/no-in-scope-HPC mapping, opt2 (3).

SOV-7 · Security & Compliance Sovereignty 50.0% · SEAL-1 · weight 15%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-7.1Security certification (EAL)1. EAL0 / none0/143SEAL-1mediumNo company-level certification: Greenhost holds no SecNumCloud/EUCS/C5/ENS/ISO 27001/SOC2/Common Criteria for its own platform (only its colocation DC, Iron Mountain AMS-1, is ISO-27001 certified) -> EAL0/none, opt1 (seal 1). Genuine differentiator vs cluster peers that hold their own ISO 27001. This caps the overall SEAL at 1. (src: https://greenhost.net/sustainable/)
SOV-7.2EU regulatory compliance (GDPR/NIS2/DORA)3. Moderate compliance72/143SEAL-4mediumDutch provider adhering to GDPR with strong privacy stance, but no documented independent NIS2/DORA audits -> moderate compliance, opt3 (4).
SOV-7.3EU-based SOC & incident handling4. Entire lifecycle by EU teams, EU threat intel107/143SEAL-3loweu_ops: security/incident handling in-house by the EU-based team with no non-EU escalation; ENISA threat-intel sharing not documented -> entire lifecycle EU teams, opt4 (3).
SOV-7.4Control over security monitoring/logging4. Full direct access, logs stored in EU107/143SEAL-3lowCustomers get monitoring/control-panel access and logs held in the EU DC; no documented immutable tamper-proof guarantee -> full access, logs in EU, opt4 (3).
SOV-7.5Disclosure of incidents3. Moderate (GDPR/NIS2-aligned)72/143SEAL-2lowEU provider following GDPR/NIS2-aligned breach-notification; no documented SLA-monitored or real-time CSIRT sharing -> moderate, opt3 (2).
SOV-7.6Maintenance autonomy4. High autonomy (deploy independently, no checks)107/143SEAL-4mediumown_stack: operates its own open-source stack on owned hardware and deploys patches/maintenance independently -> high maintenance autonomy, opt4 (4).
SOV-7.7Auditability2. Limited independent access36/143SEAL-1lowNOT audit_rights: open-source basis aids inspection but no documented full independent third-party audit right for any entity (no SecNumCloud/sovereign-offer terms implying it) -> limited independent access, opt2 (seal 1). Caps SEAL at 1. (src: https://greenhost.net/sustainable/)

SOV-8 · Environmental Sustainability 75.0% · SEAL-2 · weight 5%

IDFactorValueScoreSEALConf.Justification
SOV-8.1Energy efficiency (PUE)5. PUE < 1.2, EU verified250/250SEAL-4highPublished sustainability report states the Amsterdam DC (Iron Mountain AMS-1) operates at PUE 1.2 with EU operation -> PUE < 1.2 EU verified, opt5 (4). (src: https://greenhost.net/sustainable/)
SOV-8.2Hardware reuse & recycling3. Documented program125/250SEAL-3mediumDocumented circular practices (three-Rs, certified recycling partners, donating decommissioned servers); documented program but not formally EU-certified lifecycle -> opt3 (3).
SOV-8.3Environmental impact reporting3. Annual report125/250SEAL-2highPublishes a detailed sustainability report (2021-2024) with energy/PUE data while acknowledging gaps -> annual report tier, opt3 (2). (src: https://greenhost.net/sustainable/)
SOV-8.4Energy supplies5. Only green EU energy supplies250/250SEAL-4highAmsterdam operations run on 100% Dutch wind energy -> only green EU energy supplies, opt5 (4). (src: https://greenhost.net/sustainable/)