News » EUROFER welcomes Industrial Accelerator Act and calls for further steps
EUROFER welcomes Industrial Accelerator Act and calls for further steps
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Industrial Accelerator Act launches lead markets - but more is needed to support green steel “Made in Europe”
It’s out: the European Commission has published its Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) which aims to strengthen European manufacturing and accelerate the low-carbon transition.
For steel, the stakes are high.
The Act aims to create lead markets for low-carbon materials in sectors such as clean energy, mobility and infrastructure - an important step to help scale up new industrial technologies.
Europe’s steel industry is ready to deliver: companies are executing or preparing multi-billion-euro investments and have committed to cut steel-making CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 (from a 2018 baseline).
The proposal offers some welcome foundations that could stimulate demand for low-carbon steel.
But the demand signal remains limited.
The proposal requires 25% of steel in public procurement and public support schemes to be low-carbon - yet it does not require that this steel be produced in Europe.
This matters.
25% of public procurement represents less than 5% of the total steel market, and public support schemes vary widely across Member States.
Without stronger and clearer demand signals, these measures may not provide the long-term certainty needed for major industrial investments.
To make lead markets work, the EU must ensure it supports low-carbon steel made in Europe, not made in third-countries.
The Industrial Accelerator Act is a welcome start - but it must go further to increase demand for green steel made in Europe.
EUROFER therefore calls for:
➡️ a clear definition of “Made in Europe” for steel, based on steel melted and poured in the EU and EEA
➡️ the application of both low-carbon and European origin criteria in the Industrial Accelerator Act
➡️ a robust labelling framework to support lead markets
➡️ affordable electricity prices to further enable steel decarbonisation.
Read more about the Industrial Accelerator Act: Commission proposes Industrial Accelerator Act to strengthen industry and create jobs in Europe
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Brussels, 26 February 2026 — Europe’s steel industry has warned that the current draft Industrial Accelerator Act could direct public support for low-carbon steel to producers outside the European Union, unless lawmakers include and tighten ‘Made in Europe’ provisions.
Brussels, 24 February 2026 - Europe’s energy-intensive industries have set out a series of proposals to ensure that the EU’s upcoming Electrification Action Plan delivers on its objectives to stimulate and boost electricity consumption in industry. In a joint position paper, industries warn that persistently high electricity prices risk undermining industrial competitiveness and decarbonisation efforts. They call for a policy framework that will enable EU industry in pursuing decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness.
Energy-intensive industries (EIIs) provide direct employment to around 2.6 million people in the EU and represent the foundations of critical and strategic value chains for the EU economy and society. The current economic and energy outlook of the European Union is making investments in electrification and the continued business operation of our sectors at serious risk, should the energy-cost challenge not be solved.
The European Steel Association (EUROFER)
172 Avenue de Cortenbergh
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Email: mail@eurofer.eu
Phone: +32 (0) 2 738 79 20
