EU adopts Industrial Accelerator Act to boost clean‑tech manufacturing

The European Commission formally adopted the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) on 4 March, introducing “Made in EU” and low‑carbon requirements for public procurement and support schemes to strengthen European production of clean‑technology products. To help implement the legislation, the Commission commissioned Enerdata to create a centralised database that maps more than 1,000 active manufacturing sites across the European Economic Area, covering nine value chains – electrolysers, fuel cells, batteries, solar‑thermal, photovoltaics, wind power, heat pumps, critical raw materials and carbon capture – with details on capacity, operational status and commissioning dates.

The EU Council is now proposing amendments that replace the generic “Made in Europe” label with a product‑specific “partner origin” system. The new approach will distinguish products covered by WTO procurement agreements from those under specific EU trade deals, using lists maintained on the Access2Markets portal. It also introduces “melt‑and‑pour” rules for steel origin, shifts implementation to execution acts, and gives member states a formal role in designating third‑country partners, aiming to protect energy‑intensive, zero‑emission and automotive sectors from unfair foreign competition.