The search-engine switch comes as Brussels doubles down on its push for “tech sovereignty.” The European Commission will on Wednesday unveil its long-awaited tech sovereignty package aimed at reducing dependence on foreign technology providers and boosting European alternatives.
The email described Qwant as a “privacy-focused European search engine” designed to avoid tracking users or collecting personal data. Founded in 2013, Qwant markets itself as a privacy-first alternative to Google.
Searches conducted through the address bar in Firefox and Edge browsers will automatically be routed through Qwant, although lawmakers will remain free to use competing search engines or change their default settings.
The move follows months of pressure from lawmakers to reduce the EU institutions’ dependence on American technology. In a letter to Parliament President Roberta Metsola last year in November, a cross-party group of 38 members urged the institution to phase out Microsoft software and other foreign-made technology, arguing that Europe’s reliance on a handful of U.S. tech giants had become a strategic vulnerability.
Google and Qwant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.