CLECAT — 2026-05-29
News from Brussels
On 28 May 2026, EU industry ministers convened to hold their first policy debate on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). The discussion gave many Member States the opportunity to reiterate concerns regarding the proposal’s complexity and the administrative burdens it could generate, while also setting out their initial positions on two of its most sensitive elements: the introduction of European preference and low-carbon criteria in public procurement.
Views amongst Member States nevertheless remain divided. France, Greece, and Spain are advocating for a stronger and more narrowly defined European preference framework, arguing that the concept Made in Europe should not be extended to too many third countries. Countries such as Germany, Luxembourg, and Sweden welcomed the proposal’s openness towards the EU’s trading partners, whereas others, including Belgium, stressed the importance of reciprocity. Separately, ministers from several central, and southeastern Member States expressed concerns that low-carbon procurement criteria could distort competition with the Single Market, calling for greater recognition of the differing economic and industrial preconditions across the EU.
Ministers from Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Romania, and Spain advocate for the inclusion of additional sectors, such as shipbuilding, the rail sector, and electric charging infrastructure, within the scope of the proposal. The Commission has signalled openness to extending the IAA’s scope to additional sectors through secondary legislation to respond more quickly to emerging industrial priorities.
In the meanwhile, the three co-rapporteurs in the European Parliament on the IAA – Pierre Jouvet (IMCO, S&D, France), Christophe Grudler (ITRE, Renew Europe, France), and Anna Cavazzini (INTA, Greens/EFA, Germany) – have agreed on the timetable for negotiations on their file.
The three co-rapporteurs are understood to broadly align on the objective of enhancing European competitiveness through the promotion of European preference, although points of significant contention are expected to emerge as negotiations turn to the design of the proposed instrument. The file is regarded as a priority by the S&D Group, which is expected to play a key role in shaping the Parliament’s position during the forthcoming negotiations.