Call to include comprehensive lead market measures in the Industrial Accelerator Act
On 31 October 2025, a wide range of organisations from across Europe’s industry, think tanks, and civil society have published an open letter to the European Commission, calling for ambitious lead market measures to be included in the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA).
The letter, initiated by the Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP) and Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G), highlights that Europe has a significant pipeline of clean industrial projects. What is still missing for these efforts to scale is the market framework that creates a reliable business case for investment.
Continuing to offshore European industrial production is neither a viable strategy for competitiveness nor for climate action. Our diverse coalition sends a clear message: Europe must move beyond voluntary labels and isolated initiatives. We need strong lead markets for low-carbon products, driven by ambitious, coordinated measures that create real demand and long-term market transformation. – Aymeric Amand, Policy Manager, ZEP
The signatories urge the Commission to make a comprehensive lead market strategy a central pillar of the Industrial Accelerator Act by including the following provisions:
- EU-wide, harmonised, and performance-based product standards, to avoid fragmentation of the internal market and ensure fair competition.
- Mandatory green public procurement with clear, minimum content quotas for low-carbon materials and products made in the EU/EEA, while considering non-price criteria for resilience and sustainability.
- The creation of durable, predictable private demand by combining gradual demand-side mandates with EU and national financial de-risking instruments and incentives to facilitate long-term offtake agreements.
Europe needs a concrete, credible lead market strategy to unlock clean industrial investment and safeguard its competitiveness. This letter shows the Commission has wide support to take ambitious, decisive action in the Industrial Accelerator Act. – Elina Pihlajamäki, Policy Advisor, E3G
The letter stresses that such measures are essential to give Europe’s clean industrial projects the certainty they need to scale while also safeguarding jobs, competitiveness, and sovereignty in the global transition to a net-zero economy.
Download the letter to see the list of signatories.