Spain plans stricter water, energy and cybersecurity regulations for data
centers, included in a draft decree opening for public consultation this week,
government sources said. The draft would require operators to be established in
the EU, keep processed data and metadata within the EU, and implement mechanisms
to control third‑country access. Facilities handling public‑sector or
national‑security data would face tougher rules. Spain, drawing AI
infrastructure projects worth tens of billions of euros due to abundant
renewables and land, says the large project pipeline allows selection of the
most sustainable, secure and efficient sites—an explicit objective of the
proposed rules.
