EU plans 'made in Europe' rules for green tech public procurement

The European Commission is drafting local-content rules for public procurement of green technology, according to Reuters. The proposal would require purchasing authorities across member states to give preference to European-manufactured clean-tech equipment. No final text or vote date has been confirmed; Reuters reported the plans on 19 January 2026.

The timing sits against a backdrop of industrial pressure on EU energy policy. Business leaders told the EU directly, per Reuters reporting on 11 February 2026, that fixing energy prices at competitive levels is a prerequisite for keeping heavy industry on the continent. No specific price mechanism was named in the headline coverage.

The regulatory uncertainty is already producing concrete project delays. Salzgitter cited economic and regulatory conditions when announcing a postponement of later stages of its green steel project in September 2025, per Reuters. That project depends on competitively priced green power, making the energy-price and procurement-rule debates directly linked for electro-intensive sectors.