BRUSSELS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Twenty-three industry

groups across Europe have urged EU tech chief Henna Virkkunnen

to adopt a draft cybersecurity certification scheme (EUCS) for

cloud services that was tweaked last year in favour of Amazon ( AMZN )

, Alphabet's Google and Microsoft ( MSFT ).

The call came amid signs that the European Commission may

delay adopting or even scrap the proposal, which has gone

through several changes since it was unveiled by EU

cybersecurity agency ENISA in 2020.

The labelling scheme aims to help governments and companies

pick a secure and trusted vendor for their cloud computing

needs. The global cloud computing industry generates billions of

euros in yearly revenue.

"We would like to respectfully urge your support for the

swift adoption of the European Cybersecurity Certification

Scheme for Cloud Services," the groups said in a joint letter

dated February 11 to Virkkunnen seen by Reuters.

They said the March 2024 draft "made good progress in

balancing between robust security standards and the inclusive,

open-market principles that are critical for the growth and

resilience of Europe's digital economy".

The groups said the 2024 changes - which included scrapping

provisions requiring U.S. tech giants to set up a joint venture

or cooperate with an EU-based company to store customer data in

the bloc in exchange for the highest level of the cybersecurity

label - allow the scheme to focus on technical criteria rather

than political ones.

Signatories to the letter include Allied for StartUps, the

American Chamber of Commerce in Estonia, Finland, Italy, Romania

and Spain, the Association of German Banks, Germany's

Association of the Internet Industry and Italian startup group

InnovUp.

The Irish Business and Employers Confederation, Dutch group

Nederland Digitaal and Portugal's Association for the Promotion

and Development of the Information Society also signed the

letter.

The Commission confirmed receipt of the letter and said it

would reply in due course.