In light of the deliberations in the German Federal Council (Bundesrat), eco Association warns against a shift in security policy in digital domestic policy. In the association’s view, the planned IP address retention, expanded preservation orders, biometric Internet matching and cross-proceedings data analysis will result in more data retention, more data linking and a greater degree of intrusion.

With the AI Implementation Act, the German Bundestag is laying the groundwork for the national implementation of the European AI Regulation. eco Association welcomes the one-to-one transposition of the EU requirements and the central role of the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA), but still sees a clear need for improvements in terms of coordination and enforceability. Without clear responsibilities and uniform enforcement practices, there is a risk of legal uncertainty, additional bureaucracy and barriers to investment for companies. It's now crucial that AI regulation is implemented in a practical, innovation-friendly and consistent manner across the country.

The winners of the eco Data Centre Award 2026 have been announced: at the awards ceremony on the eve of the Data Centre Expert Summit 2026, an independent six-member expert jury recognised innovative data centre projects and outstanding individuals in the data centre sector.

European companies want to grow through digitalisation, but there are still significant hurdles to implementation. A new FACIS survey of 800 industry decision-makers in Europe reveals that 92 % are planning new digital business models, yet challenges such as cybersecurity, costs and regulatory hurdles are holding back implementation.  

The draft act to amend the German Telecommunications Act (TKG) contains important measures to accelerate the rollout of fibre optic and mobile communications networks, according to eco Association. The association welcomes, among other things, the simplification of road-related procedures, improved participation rules along railway lines and better access to energy infrastructure. At the same time, eco warns against new data obligations, unclear procedures and additional bureaucracy. To turn the draft into a genuine acceleration act, eco is calling for shorter deadlines, more practical rules and greater investment certainty.

Grid connection is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in new data centre projects. Daniel Marhewka, a partner and Attorney-at-Law at Fieldfisher, outlines the legal hurdles involved and how greater planning certainty can be achieved.

MEMBERS ONLY On 3 September 2026, the Dutch Cloud Community (DCC) and eco invite you to a unique, members-only, in‑person Dutch‑German exchange in the Netherlands on tackling online abuse.