Austria Lobbies EU to Host Anthropic After US Access Curbs

What happened

Austrian State Secretary for Digitalization Alexander Pröll sent a June 28 letter to European Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen proposing EU member states explore the strategic establishment of Anthropic within the bloc.

Context and impact

The Trump administration restricted foreign nationals' access to Anthropic's newest AI models earlier in June, prompting EU-US talks. Europe fears being cut off from frontier AI and is searching for ways to retain access for its economy and public sector.

Details

• Letter addressed to EC EVP Henna Virkkunen
• Pröll requests "legal certainty, market access, capital and a set of values" suitable for the company
• Anthropic did not immediately comment
• Tied to US restrictions issued earlier in June 2026