Statement on Low-Emission Steel Made in EU – Priorities for the Parliamentary Consideration of the Industrial Accelerator Act
02 October 2026 | The Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) must establish reliable lead markets for low-emission steel made in the EU. Its objective must be to retain and expand low-emission steel production in Europe. Public procurement and public support schemes must generate predictable demand to support investment in the transition towards climate-neutral steel production and strengthen value chains within the EU.
The European Parliament’s joint draft report takes up key steel industry demands, particularly the mandatory link between low-emission steel and production in the EU, as well as the progressive increase in minimum shares for low-emission steel. During parliamentary consideration, these provisions must be secured, while the rules on origin and derogations require targeted improvements. One central priority remains a binding steel-specific definition of origin in Article 7, applicable across all relevant IAA instruments.
The German Steel Association (Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl) identifies four priorities:
- Secure the mandatory link between Low-Emission and Union origin requirements in public procurement and public support schemes.
- Strengthen a binding steel-specific origin definition, based on melted and poured in EU-27 and EFTA,
- Secure the progressive increase in minimum shares and prevent additional tonnage thresholds.
- Raise the cost premium threshold to 40% and ensure its assessment at overall project level.
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