Iceland, Norway and Ireland, measure by measure. EU-wide rules are listed once. National and regional or local rules are shown side by side, each with its status, effective date and source.
| Measures | Iceland | Norway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU-wide / supranational | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| National | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Regional / local | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| Coverage last reviewed | not yet re-reviewed | not yet re-reviewed | 2026-09-24 |
Up to 7 countries at a time. A zero means no measure was found in this compilation, not that none exists.
These apply to the selected EU countries (Ireland), not to Iceland and Norway.
| Measure | Type · category | Status | Effective | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1364: common EU data-centre rating scheme (phase 1) Mandates reporting of installed IT power, energy, PUE, ERF/waste-heat, WUE and renewable share via the European DC database; first round 15 Sep 2024, then annual. Fixes the exact KPIs and data a ≥500 kW site must submit to the European database each year (first round 15 Sep 2024). It sets no performance threshold. | regulation · energy efficiency | In force | 2024 | All selected EU countries | source |
| Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791: data centre monitoring & reporting (Art. 12) DCs >=500 kW must annually report energy, power/water use, PUE, waste-heat reuse and renewable share. In force 10 Oct 2023; transposition by 11 Oct 2025. Sites with ≥500 kW of installed IT power must report energy use, PUE, water, waste-heat reuse and renewable share every year to the European data-centre database. A reporting duty, with no EU-level PUE ceiling. | directive · energy efficiency | In force | 2023 | All selected EU countries | source |
| Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2019/424: servers & data storage Minimum PSU efficiency/power factor, idle-power limits, active-state efficiency, plus material-efficiency and info requirements (secure erase, firmware updates, dismantling). Applies to the servers and storage products installed, not to the building: equipment sold in the EU must meet PSU-efficiency, idle-power and material-efficiency requirements. | ecodesign · energy efficiency | In force | 2019 | All selected EU countries | source |
| Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact (CNDCP) Targets: PUE 1.3 (cool)/1.4 (warm) by 2025/2030; 75% renewable/CFE by 2025 & 100% by 2030; WUE and heat-reuse assessment; server circularity. Voluntary: binds only operators that sign it to PUE (1.3/1.4), renewable-power, water and heat-reuse targets. No legal obligation on non-signatories. | self-regulatory · energy efficiency | Voluntary commitment | 2021 | All selected EU countries | source |
| F-Gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 HFC quota phase-down, bans/use-restrictions on high-GWP F-gases in refrigeration/AC, leak checks, recovery and reporting, pushing DCs to low-GWP/natural refrigerants. Phases down high-GWP refrigerants used in cooling. Drives chiller/refrigerant choices and retrofit of existing plant. | regulation · refrigerants | In force | 2024 | All selected EU countries | source |
| Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III) 2023/2413 Higher renewable shares, faster permitting, heating & cooling sector targets and district-heating integration that can value DC waste heat. Sets binding national renewable targets for member states, not duties on an individual site; indirectly eases PPAs, permitting and district-heating outlets for waste heat. | directive · renewable | In force | 2023 | All selected EU countries | source |
| EU Taxonomy Regulation (EU) 2020/852 CSRD companies report Taxonomy-aligned turnover/capex/opex; DC alignment hinges on energy-efficiency criteria (EU Code of Conduct/CEN-CENELEC). No direct duty on the site: operators that report under CSRD disclose how much of their activity is taxonomy-aligned, which for data centres hinges on following the EU Code of Conduct on data-centre energy efficiency. Matters mainly for green financing. | regulation · sustainability reporting | In force | 2020 | All selected EU countries | source |
| Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) 2022/2464 Mandatory assured disclosure of climate, energy, water, emissions, resource-use and governance; scope narrowed by 2025 Omnibus/'Stop-the-clock'. Requires the operator to disclose energy / water / carbon data. A compliance and transparency burden rather than an operating limit. | reporting · sustainability reporting | Phased | 2024 | All selected EU countries | source |
Competitive renewable power, zero-rated (0%) VAT on exported hosting/colocation services, and negotiated investment-agreement incentives.
Typical effect of this kind of measure: Lowers the cost of building or running a data center here (tax breaks, cheaper power, grants). A siting incentive: pulls investment in rather than constraining it.
Reduced el-avgift (0.60 ore/kWh in 2026 vs ordinary 7.13 ore/kWh) is now limited to industry/mining and similar activities; data centres no longer qualify (repealed 2023).
No longer available: data centres now pay the ordinary electricity duty instead of the reduced industrial rate, which raised running costs.
New DCs must provide on-site generation/storage matching max import demand + market participation, and source ≥80% annual electricity from additional Irish renewables; system operators publish procedures by 31 Mar 2026.
Typical effect of this kind of measure: Controls whether: and how fast: a data center can get grid power. Can delay, cap or block new capacity, and may force on-site generation or demand commitments.
New connections in constrained regions (Dublin) deferred; on-site dispatchable generation/storage + demand flexibility expected.
Typical effect of this kind of measure: Controls whether: and how fast: a data center can get grid power. Can delay, cap or block new capacity, and may force on-site generation or demand commitments.
Prioritises DCs demonstrating flexible demand, on-site generation, efficient resource use, decarbonisation.
Signals which projects the state will favour: sites offering flexible demand, on-site generation, efficient resource use and decarbonisation, in locations with grid and renewable capacity.
17 actions; green energy parks developed privately and possibly state-led; does not stop data centres outside these locations before or after 2030.
Very large projects such as hyperscale data centres are steered toward plan-led 'green energy parks' next to renewable supply (including offshore wind). Development outside these parks remains possible under existing planning rules.
No regional / local measures compiled.
No regional / local measures compiled.
EDE7 Obj.1 locate outside the M50 as far as possible; Obj.2 show energy efficiency, maximise on-site renewables toward 100% renewable (else evidence of Irish PPAs), sufficient water/wastewater/electricity capacity, district-heat measures where excess heat is produced, and CNDCP sign-up; Obj.3 biodiversity/landscaping.
Data-centre applications in South Dublin should sit outside the M50 where possible. They must demonstrate renewable supply (on-site generation plus Irish PPAs), grid and water capacity, provision for district heating, and sign-up to the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact.
Research compilation, not legal advice. Re-check each measure's status with the cited authority. Some scope and status labels have been corrected from the source compilation (for example, municipal rules that were tagged national, and voluntary pacts that were shown as in force).