India, Sept. 22 -- The European Commission is preparing EU-wide minimum performance standards for new and retrofitted data centres, covering energy efficiency, water use, waste-heat reuse, services to electricity grids, and other sustainability criteria as Europe expands computing capacity for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digitalisation.

The initiative could lead to a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council in Q2 2027, according to a Commission call for evidence dated 21 September 2026. An impact assessment is expected in Q4 2026. The Commission said the initiative, timetable, and final provisions remain subject to change.

The planned requirements would follow EU reporting and rating schemes for data cen...