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Spanish Council of Ministers
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Spanish Council of Ministers

Spain's Cabinet, which approves royal decrees.

Spain's Council of Ministers is due to approve The National data-centre royal decree, which minister Óscar López said on 8 October 2026 he hopes to pass before the 29 November general election.

Last refreshed: 18 October 2026

Key Question

Will Spain's cabinet approve its data-centre decree before the 29 November election?

Timeline for Spanish Council of Ministers

#16 8 Oct

Spain eyes data-centre rule before poll

Data Centres: Boom and Backlash
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Background

The council is Spain's Cabinet: the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers and the ministers, acting as the government's main collective decision-making body under Article 98 of the 1978 Constitution and the Government Act of 1997. It approves royal decrees, regulations the government can issue without a parliamentary vote, and meets in the Council Building of the Moncloa Palace complex in Madrid. As of October 2026 Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presides.

On 8 October 2026 Digital Transformation minister Óscar López said the government planned urgent processing to bring the text to Cabinet and the official gazette before the election. The draft drew more than 600 consultation submissions, and the Consejo de Estado had yet to give its opinion.

The text would set an 80% hourly-matched renewables requirement, a test the Aragon government rejected as unmeetable as the consultation ended in September 2026. A decree the council has not approved by polling day passes to whichever government follows.

Common Questions
What is Spain's Council of Ministers?
Spain's Cabinet: the prime minister, deputy prime ministers and ministers, acting as the government's main collective decision-making body under Article 98 of the Constitution. It meets at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid.Source: Wikipedia, Council of Ministers (Spain)
When will Spain approve its data-centre decree?
Digital Transformation minister Óscar López said on 8 October 2026 that he hopes to approve it shortly, before the 29 November general election, using urgent processing to reach the Cabinet and the official gazette.Source: Demócrata, 8 October 2026
What does Spain's draft data-centre decree require?
The draft requires data centres to hold a power usage effectiveness of 1.15 or less, a Water Usage Effectiveness of 0.1 and 80% hourly-matched renewable supply.Source: MITECO draft royal decree, September 2026 consultation
Source Material

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.