GEF Event on Data Centers (Belgrade)
Behind every digital service, AI system and cloud platform lies a physical infrastructure that consumes energy, water and land. As data centres expand across Europe and the Western Balkans, who benefits from this digital transformation, who bears its environmental and social costs, and who gets to decide?
About the event
Europe’s digital transformation is accelerating, bringing with it a growing demand for data centres and the infrastructure needed to power AI, cloud computing and other digital services. While these developments are often presented as essential for technological progress and economic growth, they also raise urgent questions about environmental sustainability, resource consumption, democratic accountability and digital rights.
Across Europe, communities and civil society organisations are questioning how these projects are planned, regulated and governed, and whether their benefits outweigh their environmental and social costs. These debates are becoming increasingly relevant in Serbia and the wider Western Balkans, where questions of water protection, natural resources and environmental justice have long been at the centre of public mobilisation. As plans for new data centres emerge across the region, there is an opportunity to connect these local concerns with wider European discussions on the future of digital infrastructure.
On Monday 23 November 2026, the Green European Foundation will organise a day of discussions in Belgrade building on those themes. Bringing together European experts, researchers, environmental organisations and civil society actors, the event will unpack the growing debate around data centres, starting from the fundamentals of how they work and exploring their implications for environmental protection, European regulation, digital rights and democracy.
How can European policies ensure that digital development respects environmental limits and fundamental rights? What can we learn from communities already confronting the expansion of data centres? And how can we ensure that Europe’s digital future serves people and the planet?
Programme
Monday 23 November 2026
13:00–15:00 | Data Has a Place: What Data Centres Use and Are Used For – and What We Still Don’t Know
An introductory session unpacking what data centres are, how they relate to artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, and what we know about their development and impacts. The discussion will also explore possible scenarios for Europe’s digital future and what these could mean for data centres.
- Jamie Kendrick, Head of Policy, Green European Foundation
- Speakers to be confirmed.
15:00–16:00 | Lunch
16:00–17:30 | Rules for the Data: Can Policy Protect People and Planet?
As data centres multiply across Europe, are existing policies and regulations keeping pace? This panel will examine the European and national policy frameworks governing digital infrastructure, including environmental standards, accountability and the protection of fundamental rights.
- Namita Kambli, Project Lead, Centre for Future Generations
- Speakers to be confirmed.
17:30–18:00 | Coffee break
18:00–19:30 | Local Projects, Shared Struggles: The Environmental and Democratic Costs of Data Centres
What can we learn from communities across Europe responding to the expansion of data centres? Drawing on experiences from France, Spain and other European contexts, this panel will explore local projects, environmental concerns and civil society mobilisation, highlighting shared challenges and opportunities for cross-border exchange.
- Speakers to be confirmed.
19:30–21:00 | Networking dinner
Practicalities
Date: Monday 23 November 2026, 13:00–21:00
Location: Prostor Miljenko Dereta, Dobračina 55, Belgrade, Serbia
Language: English
Catering: Vegan and vegetarian lunch, coffee break and networking dinner will be provided.
Registration: You can register via this link. Attendance to the event is free.
This event is organised by the Green European Foundation and with financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.
