Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, responding to a parliamentary question on 1 July 2026, stated that the European Commission does not use any Palantir technology or product, and outlined existing EU safeguards and strategic initiatives as alternatives to the controversial US software. The answer, addressed to Renew MEP Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, signals the Commission's reliance on the AI Act's prohibitions and high-risk classifications for predictive policing and migration-related AI systems, while pointing to the recently adopted European technological sovereignty package and its accompanying Open Source Strategy as a pathway to develop EU-compliant alternatives.
Virkkunen's response is notably concrete in its denial of Commission use of Palantir, but remains declarative on the broader risks raised by the MEP. The question had highlighted Palantir's close ties to the White House, its use by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a nearly 70% increase in European investment in the company from 2024 to 2025. The Commission did not directly address the question of whether Palantir poses risks of US pressure on Member States, instead recalling that the Charter of Fundamental Rights applies to EU institutions and Member States when implementing EU law. The AI Act, adopted in 2024, prohibits AI systems that assess or predict criminal offence risk based solely on profiling or personality traits, and classifies other crime-risk AI systems as high-risk, subjecting them to strict requirements. Similarly, AI systems used in migration, asylum, and visa contexts are classified as high-risk.
On the question of European digital sovereignty, Virkkunen pointed to the European technological sovereignty package adopted on 3 June 2026, which includes an EU Open Source Strategy. The strategy aims to support open, secure alternatives aligned with EU law and values, including measures to help open-source communities and EU companies develop, scale up, and maintain high-quality components. It also envisions a voluntary EU assessment framework to recognise solutions that comply with key EU rules and values, while avoiding technological isolation. The answer does not provide specific timelines or funding commitments for developing alternatives to Palantir, but frames the open-source strategy as the primary vehicle for reducing dependencies on non-EU technologies.
The Commission is pursuing a dual approach of regulation (AI Act) and strategic investment (open-source ecosystem) to address concerns about foreign technology in sensitive domains. The answer avoids direct confrontation with the US or Palantir, instead emphasising existing legal frameworks and future-oriented EU initiatives. Institutional follow-up is expected as the Open Source Strategy is implemented, with potential legislative proposals or funding programmes to support EU alternatives. The Commission's stance suggests a preference for fostering European solutions rather than banning US software outright, a position that balances security, fundamental rights, and trade relations.