## FMC members meet EU Commission officials to discuss joint pathways to scale clean industry in Europe

11 April 2025

The FMC Secretariat and Vattenfall co-hosted a roundtable in Brussels to explore synergies between FMC the work of the EU Commission in support of industrial decarbonization and clean market development. The conversation revealed strong alignment between FMC member commitments and EU policy frameworks aimed at revitalizing European industrial competitiveness and scaling-up clean technologies. The roundtable represents a first step towards deeper engagement and sustained collaboration between FMC and the European Union, which is home to 4 Government Partners and over 30 members companies.  In partnership with the First Movers Coalition Secretariat, Vattenfall hosted a roundtable in Brussels on 12 February 2025 to explore synergies between FMC and the work of the European Commission to accelerate industry decarbonization and boost Europe’s net-zero economy.This event focused on the linkages between public and private action on industrial decarbonization in Europe, in the context of the recently released Competitiveness Compass, and as the Commission is finalizing the Clean Industrial Deal.  Participants represented key stakeholders across public and private sector, including European Commission officials and senior expert representatives of First Movers Coalition members.The discussion began with an acknowledgement that Europe is a very strategic region to drive industrial decarbonization globally and build resilient and competitiveness clean value chains. The European Union is home to over 30 FMC members (headquartered in the EU), with many more having large operations on the continent and strong partnerships with European suppliers. Additionally, 4 of the current Government Partners of FMC are also EU Member States: Germany, Denmark, Italy, and Sweden.It was reaffirmed that Europe is staying the course on climate action and providing predictability through its political priorities and the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal. While climate action is currently facing political headwinds on a global scale, the European Union remains committed to the green industrial transition and its support to first movers and climate ambitious companies. There is an acknowledgement that Europe needs to play to its key strengths, with its predictability being a critical factor to ensure a strong connection with the private sector and to play its role as an enabler.Public and private sector representatives agree that the green transition goes beyond climate mitigation, and that net-zero is where the future of industrial competitiveness and business profitability lies. Despites challenges, there are already compelling examples of this in the European market, which is why First Movers should continue to make their voice heard and amplify success stories to inspire others to follow. The European Union is committed to accompanying and amplifying these efforts, notably by translating the Competitiveness Compass into specific sector/vertical action plans, and implementing the Clean Industrial Deal.The Clean Industrial Deal released on 26 February 2025, provides a framework that complements and strengthens the European Green Deal with a focus on energy-intensive sectors and clean technologies. At the heart of this new policy is the need to activate the business drivers that will secure investment in Europe and into decarbonized industries. One of the key objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal is to boost demand for clean products made in the EU, which is well aligned with FMC’s mission. To this aim, the EU has announced its plan to review its procurement framework for strategic sectors to include sustainability, resilience and European preference criteria. To support uptake in the private sector, The Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act will also launch a voluntary carbon intensity label for industrial products, starting with the steel and cement sectors, as well simplify and harmonise carbon accounting methodologies.Finally, roundtable participants discussed the importance of innovation beyond technology to implement solutions at scale and design supportive policies to accelerate the green industrial transition. Breakthrough technologies needed to decarbonize heavy-emitting sectors already exist and a lot of the technological expertise needed lies in start-ups. More than ever, we need innovation to implement these solutions on a large scale and connect the dots between the value chain stakeholders.Innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are also key in policy making. EU regulators aim to create a policy framework that provides predictability while remaining nimble to set first movers up for success. First Movers are looking to policy makers to be enablers and to elevate examples of best practices in the industry. They are particularly eager to engage in more public-private dialogues to delve into sector-specific challenges and opportunities and co-create solutions.