Glass for Europe contributes to the public consultation on the Advanced Materials Act

The European Commission explicitly recognised ‘dynamic, optically transparent and glazing technologies‘ as advanced materials. The public consultation, which ended on 13 January 2026, provided an opportunity to emphasise the importance of advanced glazing materials and to make proposals for the upcoming Act, which is expected at the end of the year.

The European Commission acknowledged flat glass as an advanced material that contributes to “greater wellbeing in buildings” in its communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership adopted in February 2024. Flat glass is indeed an irreplaceable construction material which brings essential natural daylight and a connection with the outdoor. High-performance glazing improves occupants’ wellbeing and comfort by enhancing thermal comfort in both winter and summer and preventing overheating. Flat glass also supports buildings’ on-site renewable energy generation through solar panels and Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV).

It also qualifies as advanced material for its contribution to the mobility sector. Windscreens, backlights and windows for cars and all types of vehicles provide safety, security, durability, excellent visibility and allow modern design and greater comfort for passengers. As the future of transport requires advanced interconnected technologies, glass already allows the integration of sensors, cameras, antennas, GPS and several other functionalities in an invisible way. Flat glass delivers advanced solutions for automated-driving and improved experience with augmented reality features on windshields.

As part of its contribution to the public consultation, Glass for Europe called the European Commission to build on the existing communication and go further to support the production and deployment of optically transparent and glazing technologies. Doing so, requires to:

• Address the lack of European competitiveness relative to imports from outside the EU by ensuring a fair level playing field,
• Promote the benefits of advanced glazing technologies in reducing energy demand in buildings and generating local renewable energy,
• Support the development of closed-loop recycling systems for flat glass product.
  
  Glass for Europe’s full contribution to the public consultation is available here.