Dated milestones of EU quantum policy: strategies, declarations, legislation, programmes, infrastructures and calls, each with its institution and status as the official source states it, and links to the sources. Planned milestones are shown only as officially announced and are marked as upcoming.
Milestones compiled from EUR-Lex, the Publications Office, the Council register and the official pages of the European Commission, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and the Chips Joint Undertaking on the date shown; each locator says where the fact was read. Dates are as the sources state them; summaries are the portal's own wording and quote no text. A planned milestone is listed only as officially announced, with that status. Not legal advice: EUR-Lex is authoritative for legal acts. Pending editorial review. Compiled 2026-10-27.
32 milestones, 1 upcoming
2016
European Cloud Initiative proposes a quantum technologies flagship
Institution
European Commission
Type
Strategy
Status
Adopted, signed or decided
Summary
A Commission communication (COM/2016/0178 final) called for a long-term, large-scale flagship initiative on quantum technologies and set the aim of launching its ramp-up phase in 2018.
Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1488 set up the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and asked it to prepare a first European hybrid infrastructure that integrates quantum computing devices with classical computing architectures; it was repealed and replaced in 2021.
Sources
EUR-Lex: Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1488, document information and text (retrieved 2026-10-21; Document information: date of document 28/09/2018, OJ L 252, 8.10.2018, no longer in force, repealed by 32021R1173 from 08/08/2021; recital 21 on hybrid infrastructure with quantum computing devices)
The Commission launched the Quantum Technologies Flagship at an event in Vienna, a research initiative with a total budget of EUR 1 billion whose first 20 projects received EUR 132 million from Horizon 2020.
Seven Member States signed a declaration at the Digital Assembly in Bucharest to work on a quantum communication infrastructure across the EU within ten years, and the other Member States joined by July 2021.
2030 Digital Compass proposes a quantum computing target
Institution
European Commission
Type
Strategy
Status
Adopted, signed or decided
Summary
The Commission's 2030 Digital Compass (COM/2021/118 final) proposed that Europe have its first computer with quantum acceleration by 2025, on the way to the cutting edge of quantum capabilities by 2030.
European Parliament and Council of the European Union
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Regulation (EU) 2021/695 established Horizon Europe, the framework programme that funds quantum technologies among the key digital technologies of its Digital, Industry and Space cluster.
EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2021/695, document information and text (retrieved 2026-10-21; Document information: date of document 28/04/2021, OJ L 170, 12.5.2021, in force (changed), entry into force 12/05/2021; recital 60 and Annex I, cluster Digital, Industry and Space)
European Parliament and Council of the European Union
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Regulation (EU) 2021/694 established the Digital Europe Programme, which funds post-exascale supercomputing integrated with quantum computing technologies and advanced digital skills that include quantum technologies.
EuroHPC Joint Undertaking re-established with quantum computing in scope
Institution
Council of the European Union
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 replaced the 2018 regulation and has the Joint Undertaking acquire quantum computing systems as well as classical ones, partly funded by the Digital Europe Programme.
EUR-Lex: Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173, document information and text (retrieved 2026-10-21; Document information: date of document 13/07/2021, OJ L 256, 19.7.2021, in force (changed), entry into force 08/08/2021; recitals on quantum computers and on the Digital Europe Programme contribution to their acquisition)
Six sites selected to host the first EuroHPC quantum computers
Institution
EuroHPC Joint Undertaking
Type
Infrastructure
Status
Adopted, signed or decided
Summary
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking selected hosting entities in Czechia, Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Poland for its first quantum computers, with a planned total investment of over EUR 100 million, half of it from the EU.
Digital Decade Policy Programme sets the quantum target in law
Institution
European Parliament and Council of the European Union
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Decision (EU) 2022/2481 made it a Union digital target to have a first computer with quantum acceleration by 2025, paving the way to the cutting edge of quantum capabilities by 2030.
Union Secure Connectivity Programme (IRIS²) established
Institution
European Parliament and Council of the European Union
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Regulation (EU) 2023/588 established the Union Secure Connectivity Programme for 2023 to 2027, which is to develop further and gradually integrate the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) into its secure connectivity system.
Chips Joint Undertaking set up with a quantum chips task
Institution
Council of the European Union
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Council Regulation (EU) 2023/1782 renamed the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking as the Chips Joint Undertaking and tasked it with building capacities for the development of cutting-edge quantum chips.
European Declaration on Quantum Technologies published
Institution
EU Member States
Type
Declaration
Status
Adopted, signed or decided
Summary
The declaration recognises the strategic importance of quantum technologies and commits its signatories to work together on a world-class European quantum ecosystem, and the Commission reports that all Member States have signed it.
Recommendation on a coordinated roadmap for post-quantum cryptography
Institution
European Commission
Type
Legislation
Status
Adopted, signed or decided
Summary
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/1101 asked Member States to define, through a sub-group of the NIS Cooperation Group, a coordinated roadmap for moving public administrations and critical infrastructures to post-quantum cryptography.
First Chips Joint Undertaking calls on quantum chips
Institution
European Commission and Chips Joint Undertaking
Type
Call for proposals
Status
Launched or opened
Summary
The Commission announced the first Chips Joint Undertaking calls in quantum technologies, for stability and trapped-ion pilot partnerships with EUR 65 million of EU funding to be matched by participating states, open until 21 January 2025.
The Public Authorities Board of the Chips Joint Undertaking selected six consortia under its quantum calls, covering superconducting, photonic, semiconducting, diamond, neutral-atom and trapped-ion technologies, with EUR 145 million expected for their action plans.
PIAST-Q, a trapped-ion system hosted by the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center in Poland, was the first of the EuroHPC quantum machines to be inaugurated.
EU roadmap for the transition to post-quantum cryptography
Institution
NIS Cooperation Group (EU Member States), with the European Commission
Type
Strategy
Status
Adopted, signed or decided
Summary
The Member States of the NIS Cooperation Group published Part 1 of a coordinated implementation roadmap that sets 2026, 2030 and 2035 milestones for moving to post-quantum cryptography, as Recommendation (EU) 2024/1101 asked.
The Commission's Quantum Europe Strategy (COM/2025/363 final) set out actions in five areas and announced a Quantum Act proposal for 2026 and an extension of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking to all quantum technologies.
Call DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI, funded by the Union Secure Connectivity Programme, opened for terrestrial quantum key distribution technologies and their certification, coordination of EuroQCI deployments and standardisation, with a deadline of 16 October 2025.
The Commission adopted a delegated regulation updating Annex I of the Dual-Use Regulation, adding export controls related to quantum technology such as quantum computers and cryogenic electronic components.
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking opened the Quantum Grand Challenge call for European quantum computing start-ups, a follow-up to the Quantum Europe Strategy, closing on 29 January 2026.
Commission work programme 2026 lists a Quantum Act
Institution
European Commission
Type
Legislation
Status
Announced (planned)
Summary
The Commission work programme 2026 (COM/2025/870 final) lists a legislative Quantum Act among its new initiatives, planned for the second quarter of 2026.
On this portal
quantum-act (EU legislation and consultation tracker)
The Commission published a call for evidence for an impact assessment of an EU Quantum Act, the main legislative follow-up to the Quantum Europe Strategy, with feedback open until 15 December 2025.
EuroHPC Joint Undertaking extended to quantum technologies
Institution
Council of the European Union
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150 amended the EuroHPC regulation to add a quantum technologies pillar covering quantum computing and simulation, quantum communication, and quantum sensing and metrology.
The Commission proposed a revised Cybersecurity Act together with a targeted NIS2 amendment under which national cybersecurity strategies would include policies for the transition to post-quantum cryptography.
The Commission proposed a Digital Networks Act whose recital on resilient connectivity covers preparing networks for quantum communication, EuroQCI and a timely transition to post-quantum cryptography.
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking opened its first four calls under its new quantum technologies pillar, on photonic quantum computing, standards, post-quantum cryptography and quantum machine learning.
The Commission proposed a Chips Act 2.0 (COM/2026/504 final) that would repeal Regulation (EU) 2023/1781, continue quantum chip activities under a reinforced Chips for Europe Initiative and be coordinated with the upcoming Quantum Act.
On this portal
chips-act-2 (EU legislation and consultation tracker)
Revised EU foreign investment screening regulation in force
Institution
European Parliament and Council of the EU
Type
Legislation
Status
In force
Summary
Regulation (EU) 2026/1386 on screening foreign investments entered into force on the twentieth day after its publication of 26 June 2026, with most of its rules applying from 17 January 2028.
The Commission's Have your say page plans the EU Quantum Act, a proposal for a regulation, for the fourth quarter of 2026 after a call for evidence that closed on 15 December 2025, and EUR-Lex showed no proposal when checked.
On this portal
quantum-act (EU legislation and consultation tracker)
Sources
European Commission, Have your say: EU quantum Act (initiative 15512) (retrieved 2026-10-21; Initiative 15512: foreseen act a proposal for a regulation, planned period Q4 2026, call for evidence for an impact assessment published 29 October 2025 with feedback until 15 December 2025, proposal stage upcoming; read through the portal's public initiative service)