Made in Europe: Germany warns IAA targets ‘one country’

Germany’s parliamentary state secretary Stefan Rouenhoff told reporters in Seoul on Oct. 30 that the European Union’s planned “Made in Europe” rules under the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) were motivated by challenges from “one special country”, while stressing that vehicles made by trusted partners could still qualify if built in Europe. Rouenhoff said the measures were "not [because of] Korea, but the challenges we face with regard to one special country."

What was said, and what’s on the table

Rouenhoff’s comments came as EU capitals and the European Parliament negotiate the detail of a package that links public procurement and subsidy access to origin and low‑carbon criteria for strategic goods including cars, batteries and steel. Under proposals discussed in Brussels, cars receiving public support or public procurement treatment would from 2028 have to be assembled in Europe with a high share of local value — commonly reported as around 70% of component value excluding the battery — to qualify.

The remarks follow a broader Franco‑German political understanding published in mid‑October that sought to trade a softer 2035 CO2 target for stricter “Made in Europe” conditions for the automotive sector — an understanding that has fed into recent committee work in the European Parliament. European Parliament committees on Transport and Industry adopted compromise amendments on CO2 standards on Oct. 22 that explicitly link the automotive rules to the IAA’s origin tests and incentives.

Reaction in CEE and immediate policy timeline

The German official’s public comments in Seoul on Oct. 30 (and subsequent reporting) underline two immediate realities for Central and Eastern Europe: first, the political drive in Brussels to use procurement and subsidies as an industrial lever; second, the continuing uncertainty over who counts as a “European” supplier. Ireland, holding the EU Council presidency, has been steering compromise texts and member states’ positions toward a November–mid‑November push to finalise mandates ahead of trilogue talks.