In a joint statement, sectoral and industrial organizations from the energy, raw materials, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors lay down recommendations to overcome Europe’s permitting challenge and to support the EU’s competitiveness agenda.
Permitting has emerged as one of the most serious structural bottlenecks for Europe’s industrial revival, leading to delayed strategic investments, slowing down the energy transition, undermining competitiveness, and threatening the continent’s long-term industrial base and security of supply.
The European Commission’s permitting-related initiatives represent important steps forward, acknowledging permitting as a strategic priority and introducing clearer timelines, targeted streamlining measures, and a stronger focus on accelerating projects of strategic importance.
18 European and national sectoral and industrial organizations from the energy, raw materials, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors have joined forces to establish the Informal Coalition on Permitting (ICP), a cross-sectoral platform dedicated to improving and accelerating permitting processes across the EU.
Together, they call on EU policymakers to:
- Make permitting a strategic enabler of Europe’s competitiveness, resilience, and industrial value chains.
- Streamline and align permitting requirements arising from EU legislation and rules for cross-border projects to reduce duplication and legal uncertainty.
- Introduce enforceable time limits, digital tracking, and accountability mechanisms.
- Strengthen permitting authorities through resources, capacity, and modern digital tools.
The coalition is co-chaired by Ms. Gabrielle van Melkebeke, Senior Policy Manager for Sustainability and Environment at IOGP Europe, and Dr. Florian Anderhuber, Deputy Director General at Euromines.
“Effective permitting for projects of strategic importance is essential to Europe’s energy transition, resilient value chains and industrial competitiveness, without compromising environmental protection. Our aim is to ensure that Europe can deliver the projects needed to reach its net-zero targets, secure the future of its industrial base, and remain an attractive destination for investment. This coalition brings together diverse expertise to advance solutions that are both ambitious and workable.” – Gabrielle van Melkebeke, ICP Co-Chair and Senior Policy Manager for Sustainability and Environment at IOGP Europe.
“Europe cannot meet its strategic industrial, defense and climate objectives without modern, predictable permitting systems. By pooling insights across sectors, the coalition will help policymakers understand where reforms are most urgently needed and how to implement them to support high standards, investment certainty and regulatory predictability.” – Florian Anderhuber, ICP Co-Chair and Deputy Director General for Energy, Climate, Sustainability at Euromines.
About the coalition:
Representing 18 European and national trade associations, technology providers, project developers, and supply chain partners, the coalition aims to provide a unified, evidence-based voice to support EU institutions and national governments in modernizing Europe’s permitting systems.