The European Union’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) — the so‑called “Made in Europe” initiative that would steer public procurement and subsidies toward European manufacturers — has become the centre of a major policy fight that matters directly to automakers, suppliers and CEE manufacturing hubs. Observers said last week the file faces heavy resistance inside the European Parliament and from national capitals, and that the outcome will influence where cars and battery parts get produced and which plants can access public support.
What happened
Reporting over the last week shows two linked developments. First, the European Parliament’s transport and industry discussions over the automotive package produced compromise amendments addressing the bloc’s 2035 emissions goal for new cars. Agence Europe reported on 22 October that committees adopted a preliminary compromise that sets a 2035 target at 87.5% (compared with 2021 levels) while allowing the remaining emissions up to 95% to be offset through low‑carbon steel credits. The story quoted MEP Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA) warning the deal “slows down change and risks undermining our competitiveness against China.”
Second, Clean Energy Wire’s Dispatch on 30 October said the IAA itself is under intensified pushback inside the Parliament and that national politics are now linked to the car rules: it reported that Parliament committees backed a cross‑party compromise that would lower the 2035 fleet‑average cut from the Commission’s original 100% proposal to 95%, and that negotiators were discussing up to 7.5 percentage points of additional flexibility for using European low‑carbon steel — which CLEW calculated would make the effective reduction roughly 86.5% under some formulations. CLEW also reported press accounts that a political trade‑off between French and German leaders is shaping those negotiations.
How the process moves on
Explanatory coverage and briefings show the timing: the Commission tabled the IAA on 4 March 2026, and joint committee work in the European Parliament is ongoing. Industry guidance and explainers note that the joint committee vote is scheduled for 1 December and the plenary vote is provisionally planned for the week of 14 December, leaving a narrow window for amendments. The final text would then be negotiated with the Council.
