Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 04 MARCH 2026

The Industrial Accelerator Act: Acceleration Without Harmonization?

A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Contributor

A&O Shearman

Introducing A&O Shearman Unparalleled global depth for a changing world. Today more than ever,...

View firm profile
Explore more from A&O Shearman

On March 4, 2026, the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation establishing a framework of measures for the acceleration of industrial capacity and decarbonization in strategic sectors...

European UnionEnvironment
Caroline Schmidt
Caroline Schmidt
Gauthier van Thuyne
Gauthier van Thuyne
Udo Herbert Olgemöller
Udo Herbert Olgemöller
Arthur Sauzay
Arthur Sauzay
Romaric Lazerges
Romaric Lazerges
Jochem Spaans
Jochem Spaans
Mario Garcia
Mario Garcia
Fee Goossens
Fee Goossens
Simas Gerdvila
Simas Gerdvila
Author LinkedIn connections

Introduction

On March 4, 2026, the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation establishing a framework of measures for the acceleration of industrial capacity and decarbonization in strategic sectors: the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA).1

The IAA responds to a structural decline in the Union's manufacturing base. According to the Commission, the manufacturing sector's share of EU GDP has fallen from 17.4% in 2000 to 14.3% in 2024, while the sector continues to account for approximately 26.2% of the Union's greenhouse gas emissions.2

The IAA proposal forms part of a broader policy sequence that includes the Clean Industrial Deal3 and the Competitiveness Compass,4 and delivers on the commitment made by President von der Leyen in her 2025 State of the Union Address to introduce legislation boosting demand for "Made in EU" products in strategic sectors.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

France Targets Ultra-Fast Fashion With New EPR Penalties As EU Textile Rules Expand

France has enacted groundbreaking legislation targeting ultra-fast fashion through increased extended producer responsibility fees based on product range breadth and repair incentives, while also mandating manufacturing-location disclosures and restricting advertising. As the EU's revised Waste Framework Directive allows Member States to adopt similar measures, France's approach may preview how textile EPR requirements evolve across Europe and potentially influence emerging U.S. state programs. Will other j
GlobalEnvironment
Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
Article

EU Commission Completes Deforestation Regulation Simplification Package

The European Commission has finalized its simplification package for the EU Deforestation Regulation, introducing significant changes to product coverage and operational procedures. The package includes modifications to the list of regulated products, technical updates to the Information System, and multilingual guidance documentation. These developments represent the Commission's response to feedback from Member States and affected industries seeking more streamlined compliance processes.
European UnionEnvironment
Jones Day
Jones Day
Article

Amendments To The Act On The Protection Of Personal Information Promulgated

Japan has enacted sweeping amendments to its Act on the Protection of Personal Information, introducing an administrative surcharge regime with monetary penalties for data protection violations, new protections for children under 16 and biometric data, and expanded exceptions for data utilization in statistical analysis and AI development. The reforms, which take effect in stages through 2028, fundamentally reshape Japan's privacy enforcement landscape by granting the Personal Information Protection Commiss
JapanPrivacy
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

SEC Issues “Innovation Exemption” To Facilitate Trading Of Tokenized NMS Stock

The SEC has issued a groundbreaking Innovation Exemption allowing tokenized securities venues to facilitate trading of tokenized NMS stocks using automated market makers and liquidity pools. This temporary five-year exemption from exchange and dealer registration requirements establishes conditions for permissioned blockchain-based trading while granting public companies a 30-day window to object to third-party tokenization of their securities.
United StatesFinance and Banking
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

The EU’s Proposed Industrial Accelerator Act: What The Battery Industry Needs To Know—and Do

The European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act proposes to reshape battery supply chains by conditioning access to EU public procurement and support schemes on strict origin requirements. As China controls over 80% of global battery manufacturing capacity, the legislation introduces escalating component-count thresholds that could fundamentally alter market access, financing structures, and supplier eligibility across the battery value chain.
GlobalGovernment, Public Sector
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

EU Packaging And Packaging Waste Regulation—what International Corporate Groups Should Know

The European Union's new Regulation on packaging and packaging waste has fundamentally transformed compliance requirements for companies placing packaged goods on the EU market, replacing decades-old directive-based frameworks with directly applicable product-law rules. While promising regulatory harmonization across member states, the reality presents a complex dual-compliance landscape where businesses must navigate both EU-wide packaging standards and diverging national implementation approaches.
European UnionEnvironment
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

How Spain’s Draft Data Center Rules Could Transform Digital Infrastructure Investment

Spain's draft Royal Decree introduces stringent energy sustainability, environmental, resilience and digital sovereignty requirements for data centers, including renewable additionality, hourly correlation, and efficiency standards. The regulation applies to all access and connection permits obtained after entry into force, with specific compliance deadlines for projects in progress and those with granted permits not yet connected to the grid.
SpainEnergy and Natural Resources
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

SEC Proposes Regulation Crypto Assets: Tailored Pathways For Covered Investment Contracts

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, introducing two tailored exemptions from Securities Act registration requirements for certain offerings of covered investment contracts involving crypto assets. The proposal establishes a startup exemption allowing up to $5 million in offerings over four years and a two-tier fundraising exemption permitting offerings up to $75 million...
United StatesFinance and Banking
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

California Passes Suite Of Bills Advancing Child Online-safety Push

California has enacted a comprehensive package of four bills that fundamentally reshape online safety protections for minors, targeting addictive design features, data privacy practices, age verification systems, and platform liability. These new laws establish strict requirements for social media companies, including mandatory stripped-down interfaces for users under 16, enhanced privacy defaults, and potential damages up to $1 million for negligent harm to children. The legislation represents one of the m
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

California SB 574 Would Bar Attorneys From Delegating The Practice Of Law To Generative AI

California Senate Bill 574 proposes a groundbreaking statutory framework that would prohibit attorneys from delegating legal practice to generative artificial intelligence, while imposing disclosure requirements and verification standards across litigation, arbitration, and court filings. The legislation raises fundamental questions about how traditional definitions of "the practice of law" apply to AI-augmented legal work, from document review to contract analysis. If signed by Governor Newsom, California
United StatesStrategy
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman