On 2026-09-21 the European Commission proposed a common data-centre rating to improve transparency about energy and water use. Minimum standards are a separate process: consultation runs until 2026-12-14, with a legislative proposal planned for the second quarter of 2027. A label and a mandatory performance threshold are therefore different things.
Editorial analysis: what should a cloud buyer ask? The computing capacity in a Hungarian company's contract relies on electricity and cooling. Comparable environmental information could inform procurement, especially under a long service agreement.
A strong facility rating alone does not reveal an individual customer's bill or emissions. Actual workloads, task efficiency and billing arrangements also matter. Efficient infrastructure can still run unnecessary computations; a label cannot replace an assessment of business needs.
Compare providers' offers for the same task and ask which facility will perform the work. Efficient equipment and the resource needs of the complete purchased service may tell different stories. If a label covers a different facility, the comparison could mislead. Final rating rules and the separate proposal for minimum standards are the next checkpoints.
Sources: Commission policy overview; September consultation.
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Budapest Global Review: An EU data-centre label is coming: what does it tell cloud buyers?. Budapest Global Review, 28 September 2026. https://globalreview.hu/en/cikk/eu-adatkozpontok-energia-cimke-2026-szeptember