EU launches initiatives for digitalisation and data center integration

The European Commission launched two flagship initiatives to digitalise the energy system and ensure sustainable integration of data centers.

• Main announcement: The Commission, in the presence of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, launched (1) a data-center-focused initiative that brought together data center operators, the energy sector and public authorities, with 14 European associations signing a Declaration of Intent and 6 companies signing a Declaration of Support to begin implementation; and (2) the “AI.grids” project to develop EU sovereign AI models with 48 partners including grid operators and research institutes to improve grid management and planning.
• Background and related action: These initiatives were published alongside the Tech Sovereignty Package and the Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in the energy sector (Commission news published 3 June 2026); the event and launches were reported on 4 June 2026 by the Directorate-General for Energy. No monetary values or implementation timelines were specified in the announcement.