Events

IFIEC FORUM 2026: Powering Competitive Industry Through Europe's Energy Transition

On behalf of the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC) and Business & Science Poland (BSP), we would like to invite you to attend the annual IFIEC Forum 2026 „Powering Competitive Industry Through Europe’s Energy Transition” that will take place in Brussels on 8 December 2026 (Tuesday) at the BSP Office, Rue Belliard 40, and will start at 9am-5pm, followed by a cocktail reception.

  • Title: IFIEC Forum 2026 "Powering Competitive Industry Through Europe’s Energy Transition"
  • Date: 8/12/2026 (Tuesday) 9am-5pm
  • Address: BSP Office, Rue Belliard 40, Brussels (5-minute walk from the European Parliament)

During the event, invited high-level speakers will focus on the topic of ensuring how the European industry can remain competitive while going through the Europe’s Energy Transition. The keynotes speeches, delivered by high-level representatives of EU institutions, EU energy regulators and the industry will be followed by in-depth sessions focusing on the following topics:

  • Electricity costs and competitiveness - How can we restore competitiveness of EII via minimisation of all electricity costs components: commodity, infrastructure, taxes and surcharges? What are the first results of the recently adopted Grids Package in contribution towards creating liquid markets for electricity? What are the effective solutions, both at EU and Member States levels, to avoid increasing grid costs affecting the competitive position of EII?
  • Gas Market functioning & Security of Supply - How can gas markets provide competitively priced products for EII? How can Security of Supply of natural gas be strengthened without imposing unbearable costs for EII? What needs to be done to develop markets for decarbonised hydrogen and what role should low-carbon hydrogen play?
  • Development of the Hydrogen market in Europe : Are Hydrogen political ambitions realistic? What are the key regulatory steps to unlock industrial Hydrogen offtake and ensure bankable business cases for clean Hydrogen? How can demand-side support be encouraged? 
  • European Industry Transition - What needs to be done to accelerate the industry transition in Europe and stop de-industrialisation? How can the revised EU ETS strengthen the industry in Europe and its transition and avoid carbon leakage? What is the role of CC(U)S and what needs to be done to make it an effective instrument of industrial decarbonisation?

The list of speakers includes among others:

  • Céline Gauer, Director General, DG ENER, European Commission (TBC)
  • Jan Dusik, Deputy Director General, DG CLIMA, European Commission
  • MEP Borys Budka, chair of ITRE Committee, European Parliament
  • Laia Pinos Mataro, Energy, Climate, Cabinet of EVP Stéphane Séjourné, European Commission (TBC)
  • Hans Grünfeld, President, IFIEC Europe
  • Witold Strzelecki, Managing Director, Business & Science Poland
  • Marco Mensink, Director General, CEFIC

with the support of moderators:

  • Nicolai Romanowski, Senior Energy Manager, CEFIC
  • Marion Revest, Hydrogen Policy Officer, T&E
  • Magdalena Vallebona, Climate & Energy Policy Director, Cerame-Unie

The full agenda of the event as well as the registration link can be found here: link. 

Due to the venue’s capacity, registration is subject to approval. You will receive a confirmation email.

For any questions, please contact Isabelle Chaput: chaput​[at]​ifieceurope.org.

IFIEC Europe General Assembly in Berlin Sets Course for 2027

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.

IFIEC Europe Energy Forum 2025

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.”

 
 
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IFIEC Europe Energy Forum 2024 – Together for a competitive and climate-friendly energy future!

On November 28, 2024, the annual IFIEC Europe Energy Forum will take place in Brussels. The theme of the event is: “Securing competitive, low-carbon energy for industry: short and long-term perspectives”.

In view of the current challenges in energy supply and the ambitious climate targets, high-caliber speakers from industry and politics will discuss solutions to ensure the competitiveness of European industry.  Take the opportunity to exchange ideas with leading experts and decision-makers from all over Europe. Let's find sustainable and viable solutions together!

  • Date: November 28, 2024
  • Location: Blue Point Brussels
  • Participation: Free of charge, but registration required
  • Register now: chaput​[at]​ifieceurope.org
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IFIEC Europe Energy Forum 2024 - Together for a competitive and climate-friendly energy future!

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!

Useful exchanges with ENTSO-E and ENTSOG

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.

Securing competitive low carbon energy for industry: short-term and long-term perspectives

European energy intensive industries are facing unprecedented challenges: Russian invasion of Ukraine, gas shortage, exceptionally high gas and electricity prices, additional intermittent renewables, increased role of grid operators, future of nuclear plants, ambitious - but often unilateral - climate policies... All those energy and climate related challenges have a direct influence on the environmental performance and socio-economic situation of the EU industry. They also often create competition distortions within Europe and competitive disadvantages compared to their competitors in the rest of the world: North and South America, Middle East, Australia, … This structural handicap seriously jeopardizes industrial activities and further development in Europe. The EU Commission recently proposed a revised Temporary Crisis Framework and Repower EU, as well as several new industrial Acts and an electricity market reform. Several Member States successfully introduced national emergency measures to protect their critical industrial sectors during the crisis.

During the last General assembly mid June 2023, experts from EU industry discussed with several keynote speakers from the EU Commission, DG CLIMA, ACER and Eurogas to actively contribute to effective solutions for maintaining competitive industrial sectors in Europe in a sustainable manner.

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