EU cleantech sectors urge mandatory uptake rules for public and private buyers
Voluntary action won’t deliver real demand for EU-made green products, letter says
The EU should require both governments and businesses to prioritise clean technologies in procurement and purchasing, forty-nine industrial lobbies, think thanks, and NGOs told the European Commission in a joint letter on Friday.
The EU executive has pledged to create lead markets to drive up European cleantech sales through the upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act.
But the signatories warned voluntary measures won’t be enough to boost demand for European-made green products, warning that current proposals under discussion risk falling short of creating “credible demand”.
The organisations – representing sectors including chemicals, hydrogen, and recycling – called for “EU-wide, harmonised, and performance-based product standards.”
The EU should also set mandatory green procurement rules for public authorities with “clear, minimum content quotas for low-carbon materials and products” made in the EU or the largest European Economic Area (EEA).
The private sector should also be obliged to buy green products under “gradual demand-side mandates”, the letter said. These should be matched by financial incentives and instruments able to de-risk the agreements for clean products’ uptake, it added.
“Without predictable demand for low-carbon products made in the EU/EEA, projects will continue to stall and Europe risks losing ground to international competitors,” the letter warned.
(aw)
