European lawmakers are accusing the European Commission of copying language from Microsoft into new data centre regulations, according to a report by Corporate Europe Observatory and AlgorithmWatch.
Greens/EFA lawmaker David Cormand said it's 'one thing for Microsoft to seek to protect its interests; it is quite another for the Commission to incorporate its demands almost word for word into European law.'
In a letter to Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswal, 35 MEPs demand the EU delete a Microsoft amendment and restore 'full transparency' on the environmental impact of data centres. The signatories say the draft rules include text 'almost word-for-word identical to wording suggested by the US tech company Microsoft and the lobby group DigitalEurope'. The proposed provision would keep all information on individual data centres confidential.
The EU plans to triple data centre capacity within 5 to 7 years to compete with China and the US on AI, but MEPs warn the rapid build-out will strain electricity grids and raise prices. Currently, Europe has roughly 3,000 data centres, with major concentrations in Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordics. These facilities are major consumers of electricity and water, contributing indirectly to carbon dioxide emissions.
The Corporate Europe Observatory says the Commission has granted Big Tech an early win, keeping crucial environmental information secret. They call on the Commission to delete the copy-pasted Microsoft amendment.