Brussels, 12 February 2026 — As EU leaders conclude their informal European Council at Alden Biesen, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe calls on policymakers to ensure that today’s competitiveness discussions translate into concrete decisions that reinforce, not weaken, Europe’s climate laws and industrial transformation.
Chiara Martinelli, Director at CAN Europe, said:
“The beginning of the year has been marked by new deregulation plans. Yet, once the European leaders finally gather, none of the main issues at the table can be solved by axing the environmental and climate legislation. At this point, it should be clear to everyone that weakening these safeguards will not strengthen Europe’s industrial base, but instead, delay clean investment, prolong fossil dependence and leave the EU more exposed to climate risks and energy price volatility.”
The European leaders’ meeting follows the Antwerp industrial summit, convened by the chemical lobby and with the presence of the EU’s top lawmakers, where heavy industry demanded weakening the cornerstone of the EU’s climate laws, the Emission Trading System, so-called ETS, as one of the key things that could unblock European competitiveness problems.
Greg Van Elsen, Senior Industrial Policy Coordinator at CAN Europe, said:
“European industry faces real pressure, not from the climate laws, but from high energy costs, fierce global competition and its own inaction. Carbon leakage has been the industry’s go-to excuse for years, but now, as Europe hesitates exactly at the wrong moment, it is decarbonisation that risks leaking away. When carbon pricing becomes uncertain or politically negotiable, investment in clean steel, green chemicals and electrified production simply goes elsewhere. As the fight over ETS revenues has started, we need to be clear: this is not a pot of money for business-as-usual, nor should it be used primarily to compensate fossil-based power generation. These revenues must drive genuine industrial transformation, awarded through competitive processes that reward real decarbonisation and come with clear environmental and social conditionalities. Separately, a meaningful share must go directly to citizens to ensure the transition remains fair and socially sustainable.”
CAN Europe notes positively that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra defended the EU’s Emissions Trading System and the importance of stable carbon pricing in front of the polluting industries at the Antwerp summit.
The next milestone for Europe’s industrial policy is in two weeks as the Commission is expected to unveil its long-awaited Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), a proposal that has already been postponed twice. CAN Europe expects IAA to deliver on its promise of scaling clean industrial production and strategic autonomy only if it complements already-existing climate laws with strong demand-side measures, environmental and social conditionalities for any state aid and support for lead markets, rather than resorting back to the deregulation spree.
Notes to Editors:
- Photos from civil society action on 12 February in Brussels (including a bouncy castle symbolising Alden Biesen) – credit: Margot Delaet
- CAN Europe letter to the informal European Council meeting
- Joint statement to uphold the EU Methane Regulation for a secure, competitive and affordable Europe
- CAN Europe position on the Industrial Accelerator Act
For more information and media requests:
Jani Savolainen, Senior Communications Coordinator, jani.savolainen@caneurope.org, +358 504667831