European data centre associations met in Zagreb – HUNDCA took part for the first time as a full EUDCA member

National data centre associations from 15 countries worked together with the EUDCA secretariat at the meeting. HUNDCA was represented by President Ferenc Kiss and Vice Presidents Gergely Csapó (Rackhost) and Mihály Csaba Németh (H1 Systems). This was the first event at which the HUNDCA logo appeared among the associations of the EUDCA network.

EU regulation: rating scheme, minimum requirements, CADA

EUDCA’s policy team reviewed the EU regulatory timeline. In September 2026 the European Commission published the sustainability rating scheme for data centres and launched a public consultation on minimum performance requirements. According to the Commission, the consultation runs until 14 December 2026; EUDCA expects the first labels in August 2027. The rating is based on reporting under the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which is mandatory for facilities with at least 500 kW of IT power. The agenda also covered the data centre chapter of the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), which, as proposed, requires Member States to draw up a national strategy.

National perspectives

In the “National Perspectives” session each association presented its own market; on behalf of HUNDCA, Ferenc Kiss outlined the state of the Hungarian industry and the association’s first steps. The overviews showed that market size and maturity differ from country to country, but grid connection, permitting and informing the public are on the agenda almost everywhere.

Grid, heat reuse, communication

The afternoon sessions covered grid integration, flexible operation and waste heat reuse; the Heat Reuse Platform of EUDCA and Euroheat & Power, which helps identify heat reuse opportunities, was presented. The communication session focused on informing the public: the associations agreed that EUDCA will collect and promote national events, such as data centre open days, in a shared European calendar.

The day closed with a media panel titled “Behind Europe’s Digital Economy: The Infrastructure Enabling Our Digital Lives”. The panellists were Stijn Grove (Dutch Data Center Association), Ronan Kelly (Digital Infrastructure Ireland), Isabelle Kemlin (Swedish Datacenter Industry) and Michaël Reffay (France Datacenter), moderated by Stefano Mozzato (Italian Datacenter Association).

What this means for the Hungarian industry

The EU rating scheme and the minimum performance requirements directly affect Hungarian operators that are required to report under the EED. HUNDCA is following the consultation and will keep its members informed. EUDCA’s “State of the European Data Center Industry” survey is open until the end of October 2026; HUNDCA will forward the link to its member organisations.

The association’s goal is for Hungarian data centres to meet international expectations and for Hungarian experience to feed into the European professional dialogue.