The interministerial digital directorate of France, DINIOhas ordered government ministries to assess their dependence on technology outside the EU and create exit strategies by autumn 2026. The directive highlights the replacement of Windows with Linux based workstations as a priority, along with a broader push toward open source alternatives.
David Amiel, Minister of Public Action and Accounts, said: “The State can no longer simply recognize its dependence; it must free itself. We need to reduce dependence on American tools and regain control of our digital future.”
What the DINUM directive requires
Ministries have until autumn 2026 to submit dependency maps and transition plans related to their use of technology outside Europe. This includes software and services from outside the EU, and the directive specifically mentions the United States as a key focus for reduction.
DINUM highlights the migration from Windows to Linux as an important element of the directive. A date for the actual migration has not yet been set. The directive also covers other categories of technology where there are dependencies on suppliers outside the EU.
EU open source alternatives to Windows and Office
Organizations that need to use software from the EU have options. The openSUSE Linux distribution and the LibreOffice productivity suite come from the EU and could serve as alternatives to Windows and Microsoft Office, respectively. DINUM has not published a specific list of approved replacements.
The directive does not prohibit the use of open source software based solely on the geographical origin of the project, meaning that Linux distributions developed outside the EU may still be considered compliant depending on how DINUM interprets the sovereignty requirements.
France has not provided a timeline for completing the transition beyond the fall 2026 deadline to submit ministerial plans.
