APPLiA Statement on the Industrial Accelerator Act - Building Renovation Support Schemes

APPLiA acknowledges the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) as a meaningful step to strengthen Europe’s industrial base, yet warns that the current focus on energy-intensive industries and a limited number of net zero technologies is incomplete. The stated aim of the IAA is to support decarbonisation and reduce strategic dependencies whilst maintaining the Union’s commitments to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement. To best achieve these aims, the Act should recognise the impact of energy-efficient appliances on the Union economy and in the energy transition.

The home appliance sector remains an important part of the EU economy, contributing €79.7 billion in value added to GDP and supporting nearly one million jobs. While the region has historically maintained a strong manufacturing base, with over 75% of large appliances sold in Europe being produced there, this is under strain. Production volumes fell from 68 million units in 2019 to 52 million in 2024, causing the share of EU-produced appliances in total sales to drop by 5%

Beyond economic weight, the sector helps drive the energy transition. With households accounting for more**** than a quarter of final energy consumption, improving their efficiency is key to optimising energy consumption. Since 2019 energy-efficient appliances have contributed to a 12 Mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent) reduction in energy consumption[2]. Ensuring the viability of downstream sectors is an effective way to safeguard the EU’s industrial base and support the energy transition whilst delivering direct savings to citizens.