The European Commission has introduced a new regulation to classify the water and electricity usage of data centers across Europe using a rating system from A to G, similar to the **nutriscore** used for food products to indicate nutritional value. This system, signed off in Brussels, aims to create a "common scale" to measure the energy and water consumption of data centers. The labeling would apply to data centers using at least 500 kW of power for their computing equipment. However, some experts argue the regulation’s scope is limited, as it does not account for all aspects of data center operations, including cooling systems, security, lighting, and other infrastructure. The regulation includes water used within the data center premises for its functions, but it excludes water used for off-site energy production or during the construction of the buildings and equipment. According to the Hubblo research firm, water used for off-site energy production is much greater than the water used directly in data centers. Similarly, water consumed during construction can surpass one-third of a data center’s total water usage. Benoit Petit, co-founder of Hubblo, noted that cooling systems are a significant contributor to water use when considering all these factors. The proposed measures are relative rather than absolute, meaning a data center could receive an A rating even if it uses a large amount of water, as long as other data centers on the scale use even more. An international group of journalists, supported by the French news outlet **Mediapart**, attempted to obtain raw data from Brussels but were denied access. The European Commission cited the need to protect commercial interests and the confidentiality of operators' information. Recent actions by the Commission have emphasized the right to keep data private, citing business law. Article 12 of the directive on energy efficiency for data centers states that all data must be shared, except for information protected by Union or national laws concerning commercial secrets, business secrets, and confidentiality. This has led to many exceptions and limited transparency in the process. Critics argue that the lack of public data undermines the effectiveness of the regulation and raises questions about its ability to achieve its intended goals.