The European Commission has today adopted a key legislative package to accelerate the EU’s energy transition, focusing on two main pillars: the inclusion of non-price criteria in renewable energy auctions and reinforcing the net-zero technology manufacturing industry.

Greener, more transparent renewable energy auctions

From 30 December 2025, EU Member States will be required to apply non-price criteria to at least 30% of their renewable energy auction volumes, or a minimum of 6 GW annually. These criteria include:

• Responsible business conduct

• Cybersecurity

• Contribution to sustainability and supply chain resilience

According to the Commission, such criteria—when well-designed, objective, and transparent—can improve market visibility for businesses and support a resilient, sustainable, and innovative manufacturing base in the EU.

What are non-price criteria and how will they work in auctions?

Traditionally, renewable energy auctions have awarded contracts based only on price—whoever offers the cheapest electricity wins. With the new rules, at least 30% of the auctioned volume must also consider “non-price criteria.” This means bids will be evaluated not just on cost, but also on additional factors like how responsibly the company operates (e.g. labor rights, environmental standards), the cybersecurity of the technology, or whether the bidder supports local supply chains and sustainability. These criteria will be given a quantifiable weight in the evaluation process, ensuring that bids providing broader societal or strategic value—beyond price—have a better chance of winning.

Boosting the Net-Zero industry

As part of the implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), the Commission also adopted legislation that lists the final products of net-zero technologies and their key specific components. This list will help determine when the “resilience” criterion must be applied, particularly in public procurement and auctions where there is excessive reliance on a single supplier.

In such cases, contracting authorities must consider supply chain resilience alongside price, ensuring that the cheapest option is not automatically selected if it risks compromising strategic autonomy.

Strategic project selection and administrative streamlining

Another major element adopted today is a set of common criteria for selecting strategic projects under the NZIA. Projects with this status will benefit from:

• Priority administrative processing

• Access to financial advisory services

• Streamlined permitting procedures

The Commission encourages Member States to use the dedicated application portal, which offers guidance on criteria such as “first-of-a-kind”, “best available technology”, and “significant manufacturing capacity”.

Transparency and public participation

The new measures were shaped by public consultations and discussions with Member States through expert groups and comitology committees. The delegated acts adopted today are now subject to a two-month scrutiny period by the European Parliament and Council, extendable by a further two months upon request. Implementing acts will enter into force without a scrutiny period.