EU presents Industrial Accelerator Act – cables missing

On 4 March, the European Commission presented the long-awaited Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) proposal, which aims to strengthen Europe's industrial capacity and increase demand for technologies and products that contribute to the climate transition and are produced in Europe. Currently, cables are missing from the proposal.

Earlier drafts of the Industrial Accelerator Act included power cables for transmission and distribution networks, but these are not included in the final version. The removal of cables, along with several other technologies, reflects political differences between EU Member States and the Commission on how “Made in Europe” requirements should be designed and applied. At the same time, the proposal leaves open the possibility of adding more technologies at a later stage through supplementary legislation after the framework has entered into force. This could also include cables for transmission and distribution networks.

What does the Industrial Accelerator Act mean?

The Industrial Accelerator Act is part of the EU's industrial policy and aims to strengthen competitiveness and accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral industry in Europe.

The proposal includes, among other things:

• Origin and content requirements linked to “Made in Europe” for certain energy-intensive industries and selected net zero technologies
• Possibility for countries with free trade agreements with the EU to be covered by the rules
• New conditions for foreign investments over 100 million euros in strategic sectors
• Climate requirements in public procurement for certain strategic materials, where aluminum, among others, is highlighted
• Faster permit processes for projects that contribute to industrial transformation

Next step in the legislative process

The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers where negotiations are expected before final legislation can be adopted. The adoption of the IAA also opens the way for an upcoming review of the EU Public Procurement Directive, which is expected to be presented in the third quarter of 2026. This could create new opportunities to strengthen the conditions for European-produced cables in public procurement.

Selcable's perspective

Cables are a central part of Sweden's and Europe's electrification and energy transition. The cable industry is working to ensure that their importance is clearly reflected in future legislation.

Selcable follows developments and monitors the issue through Europacable, while the industry organization contributes input to Swedish authorities.