LibreOffice Criticizes Euro-Office Over ODF Support and Microsoft Format Defaults

Euro-Office, a web-based collaborative office suite that markets itself as a European sovereign alternative to major U.S. technology providers, officially launched just a few days ago.

Before launch, Euro-Office became involved in a public dispute with Nextcloud over licensing and AGPL compliance concerns. The disagreement escalated into a broader controversy surrounding the project, as detailed in reports about the public dispute with Nextcloud over licensing and AGPL compliance concerns, and how the launch sparked a clash as ONLYOFFICE suspended its Nextcloud partnership.

Now, the project is facing criticism from another major open-source organization: The Document Foundation, the group behind LibreOffice.

LibreOffice Questions Euro-Office’s Sovereignty Claims

In a statement published after the launch, LibreOffice argued that Euro-Office cannot present itself as a genuinely European sovereign alternative while continuing to prioritize Microsoft-centric document formats.

According to The Document Foundation, digital sovereignty involves more than hosting software in Europe or operating under European ownership. It also requires embracing open standards that prevent dependence on proprietary technologies.

LibreOffice says that supporting the OpenDocument Format (ODF) as a secondary option falls short of that goal.

The organization argues that a sovereign office suite should use ODF as its primary and native document format rather than treating it as an optional feature behind Microsoft’s Office Open XML (OOXML) formats.

Concerns Over ODF Support

The criticism comes despite Euro-Office’s earlier commitment to improve ODF support. In April, the project promised enhancements aimed at strengthening compatibility with the open document standard.

LibreOffice claims the newly released version still contains significant ODF-related limitations.

Among the issues highlighted by The Document Foundation are the lack of an administrator option to enforce ODF as the default format and limitations in mobile editors that reportedly prevent users from saving documents in ODF. The organization also claims that certain workflows steer users toward Microsoft’s OOXML formats rather than open standards.

LibreOffice further points to configurations that can place documents into read-only mode, as well as potential formatting corruption when editing ODF files. In addition, it cites reports of data loss or missing content in certain editing scenarios, raising concerns about the reliability of ODF support in the platform.

LibreOffice argues that these limitations undermine Euro-Office’s position as a European alternative focused on open standards.

Open Standards Remain a Key Battleground

The debate reflects a broader disagreement that has existed for years within the office productivity market.

LibreOffice has long promoted ODF as the preferred open document standard and has repeatedly criticized Microsoft Office for encouraging the use of OOXML formats. The organization has also previously criticized Microsoft’s Ribbon interface, arguing that it contributes to vendor lock-in and makes migration between office suites more difficult.

From LibreOffice’s perspective, true digital sovereignty requires software that prioritizes open standards from the ground up. The group argues that organizations seeking independence from foreign technology providers should avoid solutions that continue to rely on proprietary document ecosystems.

Euro-Office has not yet publicly responded to LibreOffice’s latest criticism. However, the dispute highlights the growing scrutiny facing European technology projects that position themselves as sovereign alternatives to established U.S. platforms.