The European Commission has unveiled the Clean Industrial Deal, a comprehensive plan to support the competitiveness and resilience of European industries while accelerating decarbonization. The initiative aims to secure the future of manufacturing in Europe, particularly in the face of high energy costs and global competition.
Key Pillars of the Deal:
Lowering Energy Costs – The new Action Plan on Affordable Energy will help reduce energy bills, accelerate clean energy deployment, and enhance grid interconnections.
Boosting Demand for Clean Products – The Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act will introduce sustainability and resilience criteria in procurement and launch a voluntary carbon intensity label for industrial products, starting with steel in 2025.
Financing the Clean Transition – Over €100 billion will be mobilized to support clean manufacturing, including:
A new State Aid Framework to fast-track approvals for renewable energy and clean tech investments.
A €100 billion Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, leveraging the Innovation Fund and ETS revenues.
Strengthening InvestEU to mobilize €50 billion in additional public and private investments.
Securing Critical Raw Materials & Circular Economy –
Establishing a Critical Raw Material Centre to coordinate EU-wide purchasing and reduce dependence on unreliable suppliers.
A Circular Economy Act (2026) to increase circular material use to 24% by 2030 and maximize resource efficiency.
Global Trade & Fair Competition – The EU will launch Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships to diversify supply chains while reinforcing Trade Defence measures and strengthening the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Investing in Skills & Workforce – A Union of Skills will develop talent, with up to €90 million from Erasmus+ allocated to training in key industrial sectors.
The Clean Industrial Deal positions decarbonization as a growth driver, ensuring Europe remains an industrial powerhouse while leading the clean transition.
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