The European Commission has published its Industrial Accelerator Act to strengthen Europe’s economic competitiveness and boost clean tech manufacturing capacity.
The move comes amid a surge of more than 40% in natural gas prices since the escalation in the Middle East on 28 February, highlighting Europe’s continued exposure to volatile fossil fuel imports, the announcement said.
The act identifies wind energy as a critical clean technology to enhance economic resilience and underpins efforts to accelerate electrification across the bloc.
“The EU has rightly identified wind energy as a strategic sector: industrial leadership in wind is in Europe’s strategic interest. We welcome this important political signal. Now a simple and harmonised implementation of the new rules is crucial,” said WindEurope chief executive Tinne van der Straeten.
The legislation confirms that wind auctions will reward cost-competitive projects that also support wider societal interests, including a proposed cybersecurity pre-qualification criterion.
Van der Straeten added that trusted partners such as the UK should be treated on a par with EU countries to ensure competitive clean tech manufacturing.
WindEurope said Europe risks creating a patchwork of national regulations unless the rules are clear and simple enough for member states to apply uniformly.