Antwerp, 11 February 2026 – Ahead of the European Council meeting in Alden Biesen, the Antwerp Declaration Community, representing more than 1,300 companies, associations and trade unions across Europe, called on EU Heads of State and Government to take urgent and decisive action to restore Europe’s industrial competitiveness and secure the raw materials and energy required for Europe’s clean, digital and security transitions.
At the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, business leaders, workers and senior policymakers warned that Europe’s competitiveness crisis has become structural. Strategic value chains are under growing pressure from high energy costs, slow and unpredictable permitting and rising dependencies on third countries for energy and raw materials, underscoring the need for immediate political action at the highest level.
For Euromines, Europe’s mining and raw materials sectors are a cornerstone of industrial resilience and strategic autonomy. Reducing external dependencies must go hand in hand with ensuring that Europe’s transformation is supported by an industry capable of meeting society’s needs, sustainably, competitively and at scale.
Jan Moström, President of Euromines, Group President and CEO, LKAB, said: “Europe cannot secure its prosperity, security or clean transition without its own raw materials. Mining is already highly electrified and main barrier to further investment is energy cost and supply. Europe’s current market design delivers structurally high electricity prices that do not reflect the cost advantage of renewables. Without affordable, clean baseload power, there is no business case to invest, electrify and decarbonise in Europe.”
The Antwerp Declaration Community urges EU leaders to ensure that the Alden Biesen meeting becomes a turning point, delivering bold, coordinated measures that secure raw materials, restore industrial competitiveness and translate the Clean Industrial Deal into tangible results already in 2026.
Read the Antwerp Call to Action here.
About Euromines
Euromines, the European Association of Mining, Metal Ores & Industrial Metals, is the voice of European metals and minerals mining industry. Our primary goal is to promote responsible industry practices and ensure that mining receives appropriate consideration in EU policymaking. As a collaborative network, Euromines brings together the Secretariat and Members to assess the impact of European and international policies on the industry, shaping unified positions and actions. Representing both large and small companies, a well as their subsidiaries across Europe and beyond. Euromines advocates for a sustainable and competitive mining sector.
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