Today, the European Commission has taken further steps to support the EUs transition to a low-carbon economy. The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) will help make the EUs industry more resilient and competitive, while reducing their carbon footprint. These rules clarify which manufacturing projects can benefit from specific provisions in the Act, such as permitting, strategic project status, and non-price criteria. They will scale up the production of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and leverage the EUs clean tech industrys competitive edge.
The Commission has today adopted the following acts:
Components for net-zero technologies under the NZIA
The NZIA strengthens EU manufacturing of net-zero technologies, including their key components. Todays act clarifies the scope of the NZIA by listing specific components for which the NZIA requirements will apply.
Rules on non-price criteria in renewable energy auctions
The Commission adopted rules for the inclusion of certain non-price criteria in Member State auctions for renewable energy deployment. These criteria include responsible business conduct, cybersecurity, sustainability, and resilience. Starting on 30 December 2025, the new rules must be applied to 30% of auction volumes (or 6 GW per year per EU country). The act provides detailed parameters to help harmonize how Member States apply these rules.
Communication on shares of Union supply
The Commission adopted a communication providing information on where the EUs supply of net-zero technologies comes from, highlighting third country dependencies for specific technologies. This helps Member States evaluate net-zero technology manufacturing projects eligible for strategic project status.