EU industrial accelerator act must reinforce transport backbone

 

IRU welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act but warns that the transport dimension, the backbone of EU mobility and industrial supply chains, remains underrepresented. The European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act aims to strengthen industrial capacity and accelerate the transition to lower-emission production. While the initiative represents an important step towards reinforcing the EU’s industrial base, the transport dimension remains only partially addressed. By focusing primarily on industrial production, it gives limited attention to the logistics systems and transport infrastructure that enable it. IRU is also concerned about the consequences that the various restrictions may have on transport operators and their vehicles.   IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said, “While strengthening EU industrial capacity is a vital objective, policymakers should ensure that new measures do not incidentally reduce the availability, functionality or affordability of vehicles and components for transport operators.” “Maintaining an open, competitive and diversified offer remains essential to ensure that road transport companies can invest in the vehicles needed to support the EU’s economic activity and decarbonisation goals,” she added. Public procurement must remain competitive and flexible The proposal recognises the role that public procurement can play in supporting decarbonisation, which IRU supports as part of quality-based procurement. Sustainability criteria can be an important component of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), helping deliver cleaner and more resilient transport services. However, introducing additional industrial policy considerations in procurement, such as resilience or “Made in Europe” requirements, risks increasing complexity, reducing competition in vehicle markets, and, ultimately, driving up costs for operators and public authorities. “Public transport and logistics services delivered under public service contracts operate under a wide range of operational conditions across the EU and often under strict budgetary constraints,” said Raluca Marian. “Procurement frameworks must preserve sufficient flexibility for operators and contracting authorities to deploy the vehicle technologies best suited to different operational needs while ensuring the availability and affordability of vehicles,” she added. In addition, any new requirements should not translate into additional administrative burdens for operators, such as obligations to demonstrate the origin of vehicles or components, which are already emerging in some national procurement practices.  Public procurement rules should remain simple, transparent and focused on delivering efficient, high-quality transport services. Strategic industrial hubs require logistics infrastructure IRU also welcomes the proposal’s recognition of strategic industrial and decarbonisation projects and the facilitation measures foreseen for them, including accelerated permitting procedures and priority access to funding. However, an important link is missing: the supporting logistics infrastructure that enables these projects to function effectively. Industrial ecosystems depend on efficient supply chains, including logistics hubs, transport terminals and multimodal connections linking production sites to markets. To ensure that strategic projects can operate efficiently, the same facilitation measures, including streamlined permitting and access to EU funding, should also extend to the logistics infrastructure that supports them. Ensuring adequate road freight access, truck parking and charging infrastructure around these hubs is essential to make strategic industrial projects fully operational. Financing the transition must include transport infrastructure The proposal foresees the mobilisation of significant EU financing instruments to support industrial decarbonisation and strengthen the EU’s strategic sectors. In particular, the Commission plans to establish an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, expected to mobilise up to EUR 100 billion to support clean industrial investments, drawing on instruments such as the EU Innovation Fund, which is financed through revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System. IRU welcomes efforts to unlock investment and create lead markets for low-carbon technologies. At the same time, the decarbonisation of industrial ecosystems will also require substantial investment in the transport operations that connect production sites, suppliers and markets. Road transport plays a central role in these supply chains and will need significant support to transition to zero-emission operations. In particular, investments in enabling infrastructure will be essential, including charging and refuelling infrastructure for commercial fleets, depot charging for trucks and buses, and the grid connections required to support these installations. Ensuring that EU funding instruments can also support such infrastructure will be key to enabling road transport operators to contribute effectively to the EU’s industrial and climate objectives. “The Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act is an important step towards strengthening the EU’s industrial base and accelerating the green transition. But to function, it needs to be holistic and include all key players, and transport operators are definitely one,” concluded Raluca Marian. As the legislative process now begins, IRU looks forward to working with the European Parliament and the Council to ensure that the final regulation fully reflects the realities of transport operations and supply chains. With the right framework, road transport can continue to play its essential role in supporting the EU’s competitiveness, industrial resilience and climate objectives. Tags:IRU EU  Raluca Marian