European Commission Keeps Data Centre Environmental Impact Data Confidential Amid Industry Lobbying

The European Commission has adopted a delegated act that mandates the confidentiality of environmental impact data at the facility level for data centres across the European Union.

This decision follows lobbying efforts by major technology industry groups and was formalized in March 2024 under the Energy Efficiency Directive.

Under Article 5 of the delegated act, the Commission and member states are required to keep confidential all information and key performance indicators related to data centres.

Consequently, only aggregated data at the national level is publicly available, while detailed information about individual data centres remains undisclosed.

Data centres are significant consumers of electricity and water, with the EU planning to triple their capacity within five years to support the growth of artificial intelligence technologies.

The secrecy surrounding facility-level data has raised concerns among experts about potential violations of EU transparency regulations, including the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees public access to environmental information.

The confidentiality provision closely mirrors proposals submitted by major technology companies and industry representatives during the consultation process, including Microsoft and DigitalEurope, which represents several leading tech firms.

The European Commission has denied accusations that the act was a direct copy of industry lobbying proposals.

This development is significant as it highlights tensions between the EU's ambitions to expand digital infrastructure and the need for transparency in environmental governance.

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