The European Federation of Geologists has submitted a response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, setting out the geoscience profession’s contribution to Europe’s industrial, energy and climate ambitions.
EFG welcomes the proposal and strongly supports its objectives of strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness, strategic autonomy, economic security and decarbonisation efforts. The Federation’s response makes clear that achieving these ambitions requires more than streamlined permitting and increased investment: it requires a robust scientific and technical foundation. The subsurface hosts the resources, energy systems, storage capacities and infrastructure that underpin many of Europe’s most critical industrial and climate objectives, and professional geoscientists are essential to unlocking them responsibly.
EFG’s response is structured around six concrete recommendations. The Federation calls for professional geoscientists to be explicitly recognised among the experts essential for industrial permitting and decarbonisation projects, and for the designation of Industrial Manufacturing Acceleration Areas to be grounded in geological and hydrogeological suitability criteria. On energy, EFG urges the Act to recognise geothermal energy and subsurface thermal storage as strategic decarbonisation technologies, and calls for digital permitting systems to integrate national geological surveys and European geological data infrastructures. More broadly, the response calls on the Act to recognise the subsurface as strategic infrastructure for Europe’s energy transition and industrial resilience, and to support professional certification schemes such as the European Geologist title as best practice for ensuring competence, ethics and continuous professional development.
Throughout, EFG emphasises that industrial acceleration and high standards of safety, environmental protection and public trust can only be achieved together, when decisions are supported by reliable geological knowledge and appropriately qualified professionals.
The full EFG response to the public consultation on the Industrial Accelerator Act is available here: https://eurogeologists.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/EFG_observations_IAA.pdf
