Driving Industrial Transformation

During this debate experts examined the EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, exploring its key measures to boost manufacturing, strengthen net-zero industries, and reshape investment rules.

Watch the recording:

The European Commission has tabled the Industrial Accelerator Act on March 4th, 2026. The main aim of the draft Act is to see a rejuvenation of investment in the EU’s industrial base.

It proposes the headline goal of increasing manufacturing to represent 20%+ of EU GDP by 2035, from its current level of around 14%. To do so it proposes a range of measures, including accelerating planning procedures and implementing ‘Industrial Acceleration Areas’.

However, the most impactful proposals for industry concern:

• ‘Lead Markets’ requirements on Member States to buy low-carbon steel, cement and aluminium for part of their procurement and support schemes,

• EU content obligations on Member States to require that a proportion of the goods under procurement and support schemes come from ‘EU origin’ producers. This is proposed to cover steel, cement, aluminium, battery storage systems, PV, heat pumps, wind, nuclear, hydrogen and certain vehicles.

• A significant restrictions on non-EU union producers investing in the EU. When non-Union companies wish to invest in key sectors (battery technologies, EVs, PV, critical raw materials (the list expandable by Commission Delegated Act)), Member States, in addition to applying Foreign Direct Investment requirements, must put limitations on the investment which may include ownership, employment, IP, EU sourcing, and R&D, and

• Voluntary green product labelling schemes.

In combination with the Net-Zero Industry Act, the Foreign Subsidies and Foreign Direct Investment Regulations, the draft revision of the Cybersecurity Act, and the anti-dumping rules, the EU is putting into place a more protective framework for industry, focused particularly on ‘Net-Zero’ Green Deal technologies.

During this webinar, Professor Jones will first give an explanation of the proposals in the Industrial Accelerator Act focussing on energy sectors, followed by comments from key industry figures on whether the draft measures are both adequate and effective to meet the challenges facing industry.

Programme

Introduction

• Andris Piebalgs, FSR

Introduction of the main elements of IAA

• Christopher Jones, FSR

Panel discussion: Are the measures proposed effective to address the challenges of industry

• James Watson, Eurometaux
• Nick Avery, Eurofer
• Elina Pihlajamaki, E3G

Q&A with the audience and conclusions

• Christopher Jones

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