This past Tuesday, May 19, 35 MEPs accused the European Commission of having bowed to the pressure of the technology giantssince the data on it has been kept confidential.
The parliamentarians decided to write an open letter addressed to the European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall. This document requests the removal of a confidentiality clause which they consider “contrary to European law”. This is reported by the French newspaper, through one of his most recent articles.
The matter falls on a decree related to the application of energy efficiency, which came into force in 2024 and is currently under review. The directive aims to impose greater transparency in a sector that is booming.
In this sense, it has demanded that they report their energy and water consumption to the European Union. However, the information has remained inaccessible to society.
Microsoft, together with the DigitalEurope conglomerate, which represents many major technology companies, including Amazon, Google and Meta, They hide behind the protection of trade secrets.
European representatives denounce an attack on the right of access to environmental data. “While the Commission plans to triple data center capacity within five years, “It is extremely worrying that essential information is being hidden from the public.”express the members of Parliament.
The European Commission will remain silent for a few weeks
Likewise, they categorically call the provision “illegal.”. According to the deputies, they affirm that this could breach the Aarhus agreement. It is an international agreement that guarantees public access to environmental information and
. When asked about the situation, the European Commission stated that it would not comment on a possible elimination of this confidentiality clause. before June 10, the date scheduled for approval of the revised text.
