Rapid growth of European data centres expected to increase environmental footprint
16 March 26
Emilie Degand
BEREC published an external study on the current state of data centres, outlining their main environmental impacts and measures to mitigate them.
Monitoring tests show that the display of smartphone energy labels needs improvement
12 March 26
Bianca Sofian
A monitoring activity of e-commerce platforms presented whether energy labels and the product information sheet were made available on specific product pages as well as on all other pages where the products are displayed (e.g. the main page, list view and basket page).
AI companies pledge to cover electricity costs for data centres in the USA
05 March 26
Bianca Sofian
On 4 March, President Trump announced the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, aiming to secure lower electricity costs, stronger grid infrastructure and enhanced grid resilience during emergencies. Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI signed the pledge, committing to cover electricity costs necessary for building and operating their data centres.
Commission defines "made in the EU" requirement for electric vehicles but industry reaction is divided
05 March 26
Peter Dunn
The European Commission proposed to extend its "made in the EU" criteria to vehicle components produced in countries outside the EU if those countries have a free trade or customs union agreement with the EU. The "made in the EU" condition was proposed in the Automotive Package, applying to: small electric cars, low-carbon steel used in making cars and vans, and zero or low-emission company vehicles benefiting from member state financial support.
ECA report highlights pitfalls of the EU’s critical raw materials policy
03 March 26
Bianca Sofian
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) published a report which assessed if actions at EU level would ensure a long-term secure supply of CRM for the EU’s energy transition. The report looked specifically at the progress and feasibility of the CRM regulation and its targets.
Commission responds to Ombudsman’s maladministration finding on Omnibus I proposal
03 March 26
Emilie Degand
The European Ombudsman made a preliminary finding that there were procedural shortcomings amounting to maladministration in how the European Commission prepared its Omnibus I proposal. The Ombudsman issued several recommendations and suggestions, to which the Commission replied on 20 February 2026.