Microsoft Fabric is now available in the US government cloud, with general availability starting in October.

      Microsoft has introduced its Fabric data platform within the Government Community Cloud High, currently in public preview, with general availability starting from 1 October, tailored for agentic AI workloads. Europe does not have a comparable accredited tier, as its cloud certification initiative has been at a standstill since 2020 and forfeited its sovereignty requirement in 2024.

      The company has rolled out its Fabric data platform in the US federal cloud tier. According to Nextgov, it is in public preview in Government Community Cloud High, with general availability set for 1 October.

      The emphasis is on agent readiness. Fabric integrates analytical, operational, transactional, structured, and unstructured data around the OneLake repository, enhanced by an intelligence layer that suggests actions and automations.

      The tier itself is noteworthy. GCC High is a distinct environment designed to meet US federal security and compliance standards, while Europe has been attempting to establish its equivalent since December 2020.

      The EU cloud certification initiative has yet to be implemented. A draft from ENISA in May 2023 mandated EU hosting and European ownership, but the subsequent draft in March 2024 removed that stipulation, deferring the matter to national regulators.

      Twelve member states, spearheaded by the Netherlands, opposed the sovereignty clause, whereas France, Italy, Spain, and Germany were in support of it.

      During this impasse, the issue it was supposed to address has found resolution elsewhere. This was clarified in a hearing instead of being codified into a standard. Anton Carniaux, Microsoft's legal director for France, informed a Senate inquiry into public procurement and digital sovereignty in July 2025 that the company cannot assure that French data held under public contracts would remain beyond the jurisdiction of US authorities.

      This situation stems from the CLOUD Act rather than a policy from Microsoft. No tier of products can resolve this issue.

      Europe has begun to navigate around the challenge instead. The Commission awarded a €180M sovereign cloud contract in April to four European consortia.

      It did not rule out American technology. The Commission determined that non-European technology could qualify for the necessary level of sovereignty if operated under a strict framework, with legal jurisdiction accounting for only 10% of the overall scoring.

      The tech sovereignty package introduced in June advances this further. Public authorities would conduct sovereignty risk assessments across four categories, limiting US providers for sensitive public data in sectors like health, finance, and justice.

      This initiative still requires the agreement of all 27 member states. France and Germany advocate for a stricter European preference, while Ireland and the Nordic countries favor a more lenient approach.

      As a result, the two markets are diverging on the same product. Washington has defined the accredited tier that Microsoft is currently implementing, while Brussels is still contemplating whether to establish one, labeling the reliance a political risk.