On 13 April 2026, Council of Ministers Resolution No. 70/2026 was published, approving the National Data Centre Plan (Plano Nacional de Centros de Dados – PNCD) and the accompanying Action Plan for 2026-2027 (Plano de Ação do Plano Nacional de Centros de Dados – PAPNCD).
PNCD
The PNCD establishes the Government’s programmatic and strategic framework for the data centre sector, recognising data centres as key infrastructure for economic competitiveness, state reform and digital sovereignty.
To this end, the PNCD bases the State’s intervention around four complementary pillars: (i) Regulation and Governance – aimed at strengthening institutional coordination, transparency and the simplification of project implementation processes; (ii) Energy and Infrastructure – focused on reducing time-to-power and time-to-market; (iii) Demand and Market – geared towards structuring public demand and positioning Portugal as an attractive destination for investment; and (iv) Territory and Ecosystem – focused on the sustainable integration of projects into the territory and local communities.
PAPNCD
The PAPNCD sets out the State’s intervention across the four aforementioned pillars, providing for their integrated and prioritised implementation over the 2026-2027 period. This period is considered critical given the key structural investment decisions expected from major international operators during this timeframe.
Among the initiatives set out in the PAPNCD, the following stand out:
- The strengthening and specialisation of AICEP, E.P.E., as the central coordinating body for data centre projects and the single point of contact for investors;
- The simplification of licensing procedures applicable to data centres; and
- The mapping and selection of land with technical, energy, environmental and territorial conditions suitable for the installation of data centres, as well as their designation as pre-approved zones for this type of project.
The Morais Leitão team will continue to closely monitor legislative and regulatory developments applicable to the data centre sector, and remains fully available to clarify any further questions.
