Data-centre rules
Data centre regulation in Hungary
Our tracker lists 9 rules for building and running a data centre in Hungary, national and EU, and 6 of them are in force.
Each comes with its status, who it applies to and the next date that matters. When a rule here changes, the change is logged below with its date.
Rules that apply in Hungary
National rules first, then the EU rules every member state applies. Status as on the tracker.
| Rule | Level | Status | Applies to | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act LVII of 2015 on energy efficiency, section 21/F (data centre reporting), inserted by section 57 of Act LXXXVII of 2024; content of the report in Government Decree 122/2015, section 12/A and Annex 13 | National | In force since 16 January 2025 (Act LXXXVII of 2024, Hungarian Gazette no. 133 of 23 December 2024) | New and existing sites. Owners of data centres with at least 500 kW of installed IT power demand, or the operator where the owner does not run the site; covers server rooms and related equipment; military, national security, law enforcement and judicial data centres excluded. The energy regulator can fine up to HUF 1,000,000 for not reporting and up to HUF 100,000 for late reporting | 15 May 2027 (annual deadline 15 May) |
| Act LXIX of 2024 on the cybersecurity of Hungary (NIS2 transposition), section 2(1)(c), section 4 point 7 and Annex 2 item 18 (data centre service providers) | National | In force since 1 January 2025; section 2(1)(c) current text from Act XXXII of 2025, in force since 31 May 2025 | New and existing sites. Data centre service providers with their main place of business in Hungary that are medium-sized enterprises or larger; they register with the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities within 30 days of coming into scope and must have a cybersecurity audit every two years. The first audit for providers operating before 1 January 2025 was due by 30 June 2026 | No date published |
| Government Decree 474/2024 implementing the act on the resilience of critical entities, section 79 (data centre services) | National | In force since 1 January 2025 | New and existing sites. Data centres or server rooms needed to provide an essential service with yearly energy demand of 1,000,000 kWh or more can be designated critical infrastructure, and their operator a critical entity. Designation is by the authority, not automatic | No date published |
| EED reporting, Article 12 and Delegated Regulation 2024/1364 | EU | In force | New and existing sites. Data centres ≥500 kW installed IT power | 15 May 2027, next annual report |
| EED waste heat, Article 26(6) | EU | In force | New and existing sites. Data centres >1 MW total rated energy input | Ongoing duty |
| EED energy management systems, Article 11 | EU | In force as a Directive duty on Member States; deadline not yet reached | Enterprises, including data-centre operators, with average annual energy consumption above 85 TJ (23.6 GWh) over the previous three years, all energy carriers together | 11 October 2027, certified energy management system in place |
| EU rating scheme, delegated regulation adopted 21 Sep 2026 | EU | Adopted, in Parliament and Council scrutiny | New and existing sites. Same ≥500 kW reporting population | In force 20 days after Official Journal publication, if not objected to |
| EU minimum performance standards | EU | Consultation open | Not yet defined | 14 December 2026, consultation closes |
| Cloud and AI Development Act, COM(2026) 502 | EU | Proposal, with Parliament and Council | Cloud and AI infrastructure providers broadly | No fixed date |
Hungary in detail
What the national rules say, with the legal texts.
Hungary's data centre rules sit in its energy efficiency and security laws. Since 16 January 2025, the owner of a data centre with at least 500 kW of installed IT power demand, or the operator where the owner does not run it, must report to the European database by 15 May each year under section 21/F of Act LVII of 2015, and the energy regulator can fine up to HUF 1,000,000. Data centre service providers of medium size or larger have been in scope of the national cybersecurity act since 1 January 2025, and a data centre with yearly energy demand of 1,000,000 kWh or more can be designated critical infrastructure. No national waste-heat duty or grid connection rule naming data centres was found.
Dates to watch
The next dates for Hungary and the EU, soonest first.
- 14 Dec 2026The EU Commission's minimum performance standards consultation and call for evidence closes
- 15 May 2027EU database due every year
- 11 Oct 2027EU deadline under Article 11 of the Energy Efficiency Directive for a certified energy management system at enterprises above 85 TJ (23.6 GWh) of annual energy consumption
Formal refusals and bans since 2025
Verified decisions only. Absence is not evidence of low planning risk.
No formal refusal or ban recorded for Hungary in this register. The register covers decisions we have verified, not every decision taken.
Decisions from 1 Jan 2025; statuses checked 11 Oct 2026.
What changed
Every change to these rules on the tracker, newest first.
- 18 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: EED energy management systems, Article 11 (In force as a Directive duty on Member States; deadline not yet reached).
- 15 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: Act LVII of 2015 on energy efficiency, section 21/F (data centre reporting), inserted by section 57 of Act LXXXVII of 2024; content of the report in Government Decree 122/2015, section 12/A and Annex 13 (In force since 16 January 2025 (Act LXXXVII of 2024, Hungarian Gazette no. 133 of 23 December 2024)).
- 15 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: Act LXIX of 2024 on the cybersecurity of Hungary (NIS2 transposition), section 2(1)(c), section 4 point 7 and Annex 2 item 18 (data centre service providers) (In force since 1 January 2025; section 2(1)(c) current text from Act XXXII of 2025, in force since 31 May 2025).
- 15 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: Government Decree 474/2024 implementing the act on the resilience of critical entities, section 79 (data centre services) (In force since 1 January 2025).
Get an alert for Hungary
We write to this list when a rule here changes status or a date moves, usually within a week of the change appearing in the log above. Nothing else, and your address is never shared.
Questions
Which rules apply to a data centre in Hungary?
Our tracker lists 9 rules for building and running a data centre in Hungary, national and EU, and 6 of them are in force.
What is the next date for data centre rules in Hungary?
The next date is 14 Dec 2026: the EU Commission's minimum performance standards consultation and call for evidence closes.
From the European data-centre regulation tracker, which cites the legal text for every rule. Data-centre market data for Hungary.
Sources: EUR-Lex (Official Journal of the EU), European Commission, Nemzeti Jogszabálytár (Hungarian legislation).