Water largely absent from Parliament’s Industrial Accelerator Act hearing
On 2 September, the European Parliament’s ITRE, INTA and IMCO committees held a joint public hearing on the Industrial Accelerator Act.
MEPs and industry representatives discussed how lead markets, public procurement and European-origin requirements could support low-carbon production and industrial investment. The hearing focused particularly on steel, chemicals, batteries and hydrogen, addressing issues such as energy costs, access to finance and administrative simplification.
Water, however, was largely absent from the debate, despite its importance to all four sectors.
Chemical production has major implications for water consumption, wastewater treatment, hazardous substances and aquatic ecosystems. Hydrogen production through electrolysis requires both electricity and water, while steel and battery manufacturing depend on water throughout their production processes and supply chains.
As the EU promotes new industrial capacity, questions of water availability, efficiency and infrastructure are therefore increasingly relevant. This is particularly important in regions already experiencing water scarcity or competing demands from households, agriculture, industry and ecosystems.
The parliamentary debate also considered faster procedures and industrial acceleration areas. More coordinated permitting could support investment, while continued alignment with the Water Framework Directive would ensure that local and cumulative impacts on water bodies remain properly assessed.
The upcoming parliamentary work on the Industrial Accelerator Act offers an opportunity to consider how industrial policy can encourage the achievement of the Water Resilience Strategy and the Water Framework Directive objectives. In particular, the IAA should encourage water efficiency, reuse and circular water management, pollution reduction and supporting investment in resilient water infrastructure.
The draft parliamentary report is expected on 28 September, ahead of a joint committee vote currently scheduled for 1 December 2026. Integrating water considerations into the legislative discussion could help ensure that Europe’s industrial transition is both competitive and resilient.
