Gathering in Berlin, IFIEC Europe members took stock of a busy year of advocacy and energy and climate policy engagement while looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities of Europe’s energy transition. Discussions covered key developments in electricity, gas, climate and efficiency, as well as the organisation’s advocacy and communication activities for the following months.
A major milestone of the meeting was the approval of IFIEC Europe’s 2027 Budget and Membership Fees, providing a strong foundation for the organisation’s future work on behalf of industrial energy consumers. Members also endorsed the 2025 accounts, welcomed a new Board member, and confirmed key governance and working group appointments.
For more information, please contact Isabelle Chaput, Secretary General.
8 December 2026 | Brussels
In partnership with Business and Science Poland (BSP)
As Europe faces unprecedented challenges in energy affordability, industrial competitiveness, security of supply, and decarbonisation, the IFIEC Forum 2026 will bring together key stakeholders from industry, European institutions, regulators, energy market participants, and policymakers to discuss practical solutions for Europe's industrial future.
Topics on the Agenda
Electricity Costs & Competitiveness
Gas Markets & Security of Supply
Hydrogen Market Development
Industrial Transition & Decarbonisation
Why Attend?
Event Information
Date: Tuesday, 8 December 2026
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Format: High-level forum with keynote sessions, panel discussions, Q&A, networking lunch, and evening reception
FREE event but compulsory registration subject to approval.
Chatham House Rules will apply throughout the event.
Registration Opening Soon
Mark your calendar and join the conversation shaping the future of European industry and energy.
Brussels, 4 December 2025 — At the Annual Forum on Securing Competitive Energy for Industry, industry leaders and policymakers warned that Europe must act urgently to secure affordable, reliable and clean energy to protect industrial competitiveness and support the green transition. Discussions focused on high energy prices, security of supply, realistic climate targets, and the need for a stable regulatory framework to enable investment.
Closing the event, Hans Grünfeld, President of IFIEC Europe, stressed the need for stronger cooperation with EU institutions, stating: “Europe has the capacity to lead the clean industrial transformation, but only if we secure competitive energy prices and remove the barriers slowing progress.”
IFIEC Europe, the umbrella organisation of industrial energy consumers, organises its annual Energy & Climate Forum in Brussels on Thursday, 4 December. We will gather a wide variety of speakers on various energy and climate topics including European policymakers as well as key representatives of energy producers, infrastructures operators and obviously industrial energy consumers.
This year’s edition comes at a decisive moment with the expected publication of the European Grid Infrastructure package and several major legal initiatives.
We invite all interested experts to attend this important event to pursue a constructive dialogue on key issues such as energy infrastructures, market functioning and energy security of supply as well as industrial energy transition. All the subjects addressed relate to IFIEC Europe 2 key priorities: minimising total energy system costs and removing barriers to industrial transition.
We will have several networking opportunities and will close the day with a networking reception.
Participation is free of charge, but registration is compulsory and subject to confirmation. Seats are limited! To register, please send an email to Marie-Pierre Baerts, mpbaerts[at]febeliec.be with the subject: 04/12/2025: IFIEC Annual Forum.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Hans Grünfeld, Managing Director of VEMW (The Netherlands), has been appointed as Chair of IFIEC Europe with effect from 13 June 2025. IFIEC Europe is the umbrella organisation representing industrial energy consumers, committed to ensuring a reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy supply for key sectors such as chemicals, steel, glass, paper, and food production across the continent.
Mr. Grünfeld previously served as Chair between 2007 and 2011. He underscores the growing importance of European-level coordination: “Energy and climate decisions are increasingly being taken at the European level. Through IFIEC, we ensure that the voice of industry is heard, and that policy development and implementation are aligned with the operational realities of energy-intensive industries.”
The European energy agenda has never been more comprehensive or urgent. IFIEC Europe addresses a range of critical policy areas through its specialised working groups, including the Clean Industrial Deal, the Affordable Energy Plan, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the Emissions Trading System (ETS), and the structuring of electricity, gas, and hydrogen markets. VEMW actively contributes to several of these groups, including those focused on Gases, Electricity, Climate & Efficiency, and Energy Transition.
Mr. Grünfeld has expressed his intention to further strengthen and professionalise the organisation: “A robust and well-coordinated industrial voice is essential to exert effective influence at the European level, in order to safeguard competitiveness and to support the development of sustainable solutions in our processes and products.”
IFIEC Europe brings together national industry associations from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Bulgaria, Greece, Czech Republic and Hungary. Through unified engagement, these nations aim to enhance their collective influence on European energy and climate policies.
At its Energy Forum 2024, IFIEC Europe called for the swift development and concrete implementation of a new set of measures in the field of energy in support to the European industry. This policy should not only contribute to safeguard the EU’s industry’s global competitiveness, which is sharply challenged, but also create a framework for piloting industrial companies through the energy transition towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050.
15 high-caliber speakers from industry and politics constructively discussed solutions to secure competitive low carbon energy for industry in a short-term and long-term perspective. A successful event that attracted more than 75 participants, an important step to continue intensive dialogues and search for creative & concrete sustainable solutions together!
During the last IFIEC’s GA of December 2023, our experts had the opportunity to discuss informally the grid infrastructure challenges faced by energy-intensive industries in Europe with 2 important guest speakers: Sonya Twohig, secretary General of ENTSO-E (electricity) and Piotr Kuz, Director General of ENTSOG (gas).
The discussion covered several issues such as grid reliability and stability, grid capacity and congestion, but also integration of renewables, energy storage, smart grid technologies as well as interconnection and cross-border cooperation, investment and funding …
This was a rich discussion that will be pursued in the near future. Addressing these grid infrastructure challenges requires, indeed, collaboration between all actors : energy providers, regulators, policymakers and, obviously, industrial stakeholders to create a resilient and adaptive energy grid that meets the evolving needs of energy-intensive industries in Europe.
Brussels, 14 October 2021 – IFIEC Europe shares the Commission’s analysis in its toolbox for action and support against rising energy prices in Europe. But more is needed: the EU and Member States must provide a coordinated response to mitigate the impact of skyrocketing natural gas and electricity prices, and to create a favourable investment climate both for new industrial activities and the electrification process crucial to European climate policy and the circular economy.
IFIEC Europe calls upon European authorities to take all possible measures to restore competitiveness of energy prices in Europe, including:
Peter Claes, President IFIEC Europe, 14 October 2021
Contact: febeliec(at)febeliec.be, +32 496 59 36 20
European industry expresses its growing concerns about the current extremely high energy prices in Europe. These jeopardize industrial recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and undermine the investment climate both for new industrial activities and the electrification process crucial to European climate policy and the circular economy.
IFIEC Europe calls upon European authorities to take all possible measures to restore competitiveness of energy prices in Europe, and to mitigate their impact on European industry. This could include:
Additionally, national governments should reduce or cap taxes and surcharges on electricity and natural gas for industrial consumers in order to restore competitiveness and to retain jobs.
Info: Peter Claes, President IFIEC Europe, febeliec[at]febeliec.be, +32 496 59 36 20.
IFIEC Europe supports the EU Commission’s ambition of the European Green Deal. European manufacturing industry faces major challenges and will play a pivotal role in the transition towards a carbon neutral society. The development of innovative sustainable technologies and products within the industrial sector will be crucial.
To make #Fitfor55 a framework for thriving competitive European manufacturing industry, it needs a resilient energy and industry policy with a coherent and robust regulatory framework that ensures:
IFIEC Europe will thoroughly analyse the Commission’s package proposals and communicate further on specific issues.
Peter Claes, President of IFIEC Europe, 14 July 2021
Contact: febeliec[at]febeliec.be, +32 496 59 36 20
"IFIEC Europe welcomes clarity on the Commission's 2030 climate ambition and on the proposed carbon target.
European industries are reducing their emissions and want to go further, but they cannot thrive if climate policies leave them at a competitive disadvantage internationally.
We therefore look to the Commission to ensure that a truly level playing field for carbon is delivered, enabling industries to make the investments that will be necessary to meet the EU's climate ambitions."
Steinar Solheim, President, IFIEC Europe - 18 September 2020
Following the Paris Agreement, the European Union set ambitious goals for a carbon neutral energy supply. The European industry faces major challenges to reduce its emissions related to energy consumption and feedstock usage and will play a pivotal role in the transition towards a carbon neutral society. The development of innovative sustainable technologies and products within the industrial sector will be crucial.
EU Industry needs a resilient energy and industry policy with a consistent and robust regulatory framework. IFIEC Europe proposes six key recommendations for policy changes and further study
