The Council of the European Union has issued a corrigendum to the Hungarian language version of Regulation (EU) 2024/1735, the net-zero industry act, correcting an error in Article 25(7)(b). The correction, published on 6 August 2026, clarifies that the winning tenderer or any subcontractor may not directly supply or provide more than 50% of the value of the main specific components of a given net-zero technology from any single third country, as defined by the Commission. The previous Hungarian wording incorrectly referred to "winning tenderers or subcontractors" (plural) and capped the supply at "up to 50%", rather than the correct "50%" limit. This is a routine correction under Procedure 2(b) for obvious language errors, transmitted to the European Parliament. Member States have 8 days from 6 August 2026 to submit observations to the Council's Legal Service.
The corrigendum applies to the Hungarian version of the net-zero industry act, which was adopted on 13 June 2024 as part of the EU's broader effort to strengthen its manufacturing ecosystem for net-zero technologies. The act, a key pillar of the Green Deal Industrial Plan, aims to ensure that at least 40% of the EU's annual deployment needs for strategic net-zero technologies are met by domestic manufacturing by 2030. The correction ensures that the Hungarian text accurately reflects the 50% cap on third-country supply, a provision designed to reduce the EU's dependence on single non-EU suppliers for critical components. This cap applies to public procurement and auctions for renewable energy and other net-zero technologies, affecting both tenderers and their subcontractors.
The correction is a technical fix and does not alter the substance of the regulation, which has been in force since July 2024. However, it underscores the importance of precise legal language in a regulation that directly impacts the EU's clean-tech supply chains. The 50% cap is a key measure to diversify supply sources and enhance the resilience of the EU's net-zero technology manufacturing, particularly in sectors like solar, wind, and battery production. For EU producers, the cap provides a level playing field by limiting competition from third-country suppliers, potentially boosting domestic manufacturing. For EU consumers and taxpayers, it may lead to higher costs in the short term as domestic supply chains scale up, but it is intended to reduce long-term vulnerabilities. For third-country suppliers, the cap restricts their market access, which could affect trade relations. The corrigendum itself has minimal direct impact, but it ensures legal clarity for all stakeholders relying on the Hungarian version of the act.
The Council's Legal Service will review any observations from Member States within the 8-day window, after which the corrected text will be finalised. This procedural step is part of the standard corrigendum process, which does not require further approval from the European Parliament. The correction is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the EU in due course, ensuring that the Hungarian version of the regulation is fully aligned with the other language versions.