IAA: 14 associations call for greater ‘Permitability’ in Europe’s industrial framework
As the European Commission prepares the next steps of the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), a broad coalition of European industry and national organisations is warning that permitting risks becoming one of the main barriers to industrial deployment in Europe.
With negotiations and implementation discussions expected to intensify in the coming months, the Informal Coalition on Permitting (ICP) has published a new paper calling for a stronger, more coherent EU permitting framework to support industrial transformation at scale.
The paper argues that Europe’s competitiveness, decarbonisation objectives and security of supply are increasingly constrained not by a lack of technology or investment, but by fragmented regulatory frameworks, administrative complexity, inconsistent implementation and lengthy permitting timelines.
At the heart of the paper is the innovative concept of “permitability”: the ability for projects not only to navigate permitting procedures, but to realistically secure, maintain and implement legally robust permits within predictable timelines.
To strengthen the Industrial Accelerator Act, the paper outlines 5 recommendations:
- Embedding the Industrial Accelerator Act within a broader EU permitting architecture, aligned with frameworks such as the Net-Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Materials Act.
- Expanding accelerated permitting beyond narrow sectors or locations to cover a wider category of industrial transition projects.
- Industrial acceleration areas must become fully operational, with baseline permits delivering real simplification and time savings.
- Legal certainty must be strengthened through clear definitions and effective procedural tools.
- Single access points must function as genuine coordinators of a single permitting journey across legislative frameworks.
The Informal Coalition on Permitting (ICP):
Bringing together a broad cross-section of European industry, the ICP was established in response to a growing systemic concern: permitting has become a major barrier to Europe’s industrial transformation. Across sectors, project deployment is increasingly constrained not by technology or investment, but by fragmented regulatory frameworks, administrative complexity, inconsistent implementation, and prolonged permitting timelines. Europe’s competitiveness, climate objectives, and security of supply will depend on its ability to deploy projects at scale and at speed across the full industrial value chain.
For further information related to the Informal Coalition on Permitting (ICP), including how to support their work, please contact:
Gabrielle van Melkebeke
Senior Manager - Sustainability and Environment
IOGP Europe
Email: gro.pgoi@mvg
Florian Anderhuber
Deputy Director General for Energy, Climate, Sustainability
Euromines
Email: eb.senimorue@rebuhredna
For press-related enquiries, please contact:
Nareg Terzian
Head of Strategy & Communications
IOGP Europe
Email: gro.pgoi@ztn
Phone: +32 470 90 59 62
