24.02.2026

ZPP Overview of the Industrial Accelerator Act

First introduced in the January 2025 Competitiveness Compass, the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA, originally Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act) is intended to counteract the decline of Europe’s manufacturing sector. To this end, the IAA promises to expedite permit granting processes for manufacturing projects, introduce preferential treatment mechanisms for European-made and low-carbon products, and facilitate Single Market access, with the goal of reducing the risks of strategic dependencies, creating new jobs in the sector, and overall ensuring that manufacturing reaches a value of 20% of the GDP of the EU by 2035.

Based on a preliminary version of the text viewed by ZPP, the Act will contain the following proposed actions:

• Introducing single digital portals on national levels for permit-granting procedures, on which applicants will only need to send in a singular application for all required permits for their project.
• Establishing a framework for designating products produced in the EU, the European Economic Area, or specific third countries as “Made in Europe”. This designation, alongside that of low-carbon products, would form a requirement for authorities engaging in public procurement and public support schemes for certain energy intensive industries to exclude economic operators outside the designations.
• Implementing new criteria for foreign direct investments over a certain threshold in “emerging strategic sectors” – including battery, electric vehicle, and solar technologies, as well as processing of raw materials – to ensure they contribute to Europe’s prosperity. These including limiting ownership interests, requiring joint ventures with EU-based entities and the employment of a certain number of European workers, and ensuring the EU-entity holds intellectual property rights.
• Allowing for Member States to cluster certain strategic sectors into “Industrial Acceleration Areas”, within which operators can deploy their projects with simplified permit-granting processes.

ZPP strongly supports the efforts to strengthen the European manufacturing sector, and we are hopeful that the IAA will have a positive impact on boosting European competitiveness and prosperity. We are particularly encouraged by the initiatives meant to facilitate permit-granting procedures, as reduced administrative burdens will contribute greatly to a more dynamic single market. ZPP will be awaiting the final publication of the IAA and will continue to ensure that policymakers are well-informed of the position of industry as they enter the negotiating and adoption phases for the Act.

Timeline

• 01.2025 – Introduction in A Competitiveness Compass for the EU[1]
• 04.2025-08.07.2025 – Call for evidence and public consultation[2]
• 12.2025 – Originally scheduled publication, delayed twice[3]
• 02.2026 – Séjourné makes statements about Made in Europe[4]
• 02.2026 – Current official delivery date³
• 03.2026 – Indicated new date, delayed due to internal pushback[5]

[1] European Commission, Competitiveness compass, https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en.

[2] European Commission, Have your say – Public Consultations and Feedback, Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act – speeding up decarbonisation, https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14505-Industrial-Decarbonisation-Accelerator-Act-speeding-up-decarbonisation_en. 

[3] European Parliament – Legislative Train Schedule, Industrial Accelerator Act, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-new-plan-for-europe-s-sustainable-prosperity-and-competitiveness/file-industrial-decarbonisation-accelerator-act.

[4] Reuters, EU must push for ‘Made in Europe’ strategy, EU industry chief says, www.reuters.com/business/eu-must-push-made-europe-strategy-eu-industry-chief-says-2026-02-01/.

[5] Euronews, EU’s ‘Made in Europe’ proposal suffers another delay, https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/02/23/eus-made-in-europe-proposal-suffers-another-delay.

ZPP Overview of the Industrial Accelerator Act