PRESS RELEASE: Strengthening the Industrial Accelerator Act by fully integrating Europe’s raw materials base

The Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) marks an important milestone in the European Union's ambition to establish a genuine and forward-looking industrial policy. One capable of mobilising private investment and aligning demand and supply within a coherent framework. By promoting the production of strategic goods and supporting emerging sectors, the IAA signals a positive shift towards reinforcing Europe's competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy of the manufacturing industry.

The introduction of "Made-in-EU" criteria, low-carbon content requirements and permitting simplification reflects this new mindset. These measures can create stronger regulatory certainty and targeted market incentives, helping to attract private capital and accelerate investment across strategic value chains. This approach acknowledges that achieving Europe's green and digital transitions requires a more integrated and proactive industrial framework.

However, in its current form, the IAA does not sufficiently integrate the upstream raw materials segment. Without a clear and effective link to Europe's domestic raw materials production, increased demand for strategic goods risks failing to translate into strengthened EU supply. A credible industrial strategy must recognise that raw materials are the indispensable foundation of all strategic value chains.

The reference to non-preferential rules of origin reinforces the final transformation steps of materials into finished goods but does not adequately reflect the role of EU-produced raw materials. Furthermore, while cooperation with trusted partners remains essential, broadening the recognition of EU-origin to certain Free Trade Agreement partners is unlikely to significantly bolster the EU's own raw materials supply chain for strategic goods.

Euromines stands ready to engage constructively with the co-legislators to address these gaps. Fully integrating raw materials as a complementary enabler within the IAA will be essential to ensure resilient value chains and deliver on Europe's long-term industrial, strategic and climate objectives.