EU Industry Summit in Antwerp delivers urgent calls for energy relief and deregulation

The European Industry Summit in Antwerp on Wednesday concluded with a resounding message from business leaders and EU officials: Europe faces a deepening competitiveness crisis driven by high energy prices, regulatory fragmentation, and global rivals, demanding immediate, bold action from EU leaders gathering today at the informal retreat in Alden Biesen castle.

Hosted under Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s auspices, the summit drew over 500 business executives, 30 factory workers, and representatives from more than 1,300 companies and trade unions, alongside key political figures including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.

The Antwerp Declaration Community – a broad coalition spanning chemicals, textiles, steel, and other sectors – urged heads of state and government to deliver emergency measures in 2026, turning the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal into tangible results on factory floors.

High energy costs emerged as the dominant concern. Industry CEOs, including Clariant’s Conrad Keijzer, warned that Europe’s “dire” energy situation is pushing investments abroad, making the bloc uncompetitive against the U.S. and China. The community called for urgent packages to slash power bills, ensure fair competition via stronger trade enforcement, and boost demand for EU-made products through public procurement and transparency tools.

Von der Leyen acknowledged the “high and volatile” prices hitting energy-intensive sectors, attributing them partly to gas-driven volatility while highlighting Europe’s potential to lower costs through renewables, nuclear, grid improvements, and offshore wind integration.

In her keynote, von der Leyen defended EU carbon pricing under the Emissions Trading System (ETS), arguing it delivers benefits, but signaled flexibility: she committed to channeling more ETS revenues back to industry in upcoming reforms, responding to demands that member states currently invest too little (less than 5%) in industrial decarbonization.

She also doubled down on simplification, touting proposals to cut administrative costs by €15 billion annually and progress on investments (from €52 billion in 2024 to €115 billion in 2025 for industrial transitions).

Tensions over blame surfaced clearly. Von der Leyen flipped criticism of Brussels’ “red tape” back onto national capitals, citing examples like differing truck weight limits and fragmented waste rules that hinder the single market. Merz and others echoed calls for deregulation but pointed to Commission overreach, while Macron pushed “European preference” policies to favor domestic industries.

The summit’s outcomes amplify pressure on today’s Alden Biesen retreat, convened by European Council President António Costa as a “strategic brainstorming session.”

No formal decisions are expected, but discussions – with input from Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta on competitiveness – will cover strengthening the single market, reducing dependencies (e.g., critical raw materials, tech), countering economic coercion, and positioning Europe amid U.S.-China rivalry and Russian threats.

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Industry groups like Cefic, EURATEX, and BusinessEurope hailed the Antwerp momentum as a catalyst, but critics (including environmental NGOs) warn that deregulation risks repeating past mistakes, delaying clean tech investments and deepening fossil dependence.

Von der Leyen framed the challenge as existential: “We are fighting for our place in the new global economy,” she said, urging unity on reforms.

As leaders convene in the castle today, the Antwerp consensus – energy relief, simplification, and industrial revival – sets the tone. Success could yield a roadmap for 2026 actions; failure risks further industrial decline in a volatile world.

Sources: Official statements, Politico

Caption: Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever (L) talks to Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker (C) during the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, Belgium, 11 February 2026. The summit serves as a platform for a high-level dialogue between policymakers and industry leaders across the European private sector. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET