Europe cannot compete or decarbonise if it cannot build
Brussels, 9 September 2026 - Europe needs faster, simpler and more predictable permitting if it is to turn its energy, climate and industrial ambitions into investment and projects – this was the conclusion of the first European Conference on Permitting taking place in Brussels yesterday.
Organised by the Informal Coalition on Permitting (ICP) just ahead of this year's State of the European Union, the conference assembled representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament and Member States alongside businesses and associations from across Europe’s energy, industry, infrastructure and raw materials sectors.
Grids, renewables, CCS and CO₂ infrastructure, hydrogen, natural gas & biogas infrastructure, strategic raw materials and other major investments all depend on Europe’s ability to attract capital, and to permit and build projects efficiently.
“Effective permitting is essential to Europe’s energy needs and transition, resilient value chains and industrial competitiveness, while maintaining high environmental standards. What stood out today was the breadth of agreement across very different sectors: permitting is a strategic enabler of European competitiveness, and Europe needs to get much better at permitting the projects it says it wants to build,” said Gabrielle van Melkebeke, Chair of the ICP and Senior Manager for Sustainability and Environment at IOGP Europe.
IOGP Europe, one of more than 30 members of the ICP, calls for permitting reform to be integrated across the EU’s wider simplification agenda. Rather than creating additional layers of permitting, Europe needs a more coherent approach offering projects something closer to a single permitting journey – with aligned timelines, coordinated authorities, less duplication, simplified and digitalised processes and greater legal certainty.
"Europe has no shortage of ambition – the challenge is turning that ambition into investible projects on the ground. Every additional year of uncertainty due to slow, complex and overlapping permitting procedures raises costs and investment risk. If Europe wants investment to happen here, 'permitability' needs to become part of our competitiveness policy. Ambitious targets alone do not build projects – permits, capital and skilled people do," said François-Régis Mouton de Lostalot, Managing Director of IOGP Europe.
With the State of the Union address and preparations for the European Commission’s 2027 Work Programme setting the direction for the next phase of the EU agenda, the coming months provide an important opportunity to put permitting firmly at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness and simplification efforts.
Together with ongoing and upcoming legislative work – including the Industrial Accelerator Act, Environmental Omnibus, Grids Package, Critical Raw Materials Act and the CO₂ markets and infrastructure package – these should add up to one coherent European direction on permitting.
The conference builds on the Informal Coalition on Permitting’s Joint Statement on permitting reform and its recommendations on strengthening permitting under the Industrial Accelerator Act, which set out practical proposals for a more coherent EU permitting framework.
About the Informal Coalition on Permitting
The Informal Coalition on Permitting brings together more than 30 European and national organisations representing renewables, CCS, energy infrastructure and producers, raw materials, industry and other parts of Europe’s industrial value chain.
It serves as a cross-sector platform to identify systemic permitting bottlenecks and advocate for practical, evidence-based solutions. The Coalition promotes reforms that accelerate strategic and enabling projects while upholding robust environmental standards, ensuring that permitting supports Europe’s energy transition, competitiveness and security of supply.
About IOGP Europe
IOGP Europe is the European advocacy arm of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), the leading voice of the global oil and gas industry, pioneering excellence in safe, efficient and sustainable energy.
We represent around 30 energy companies accounting for 70% of EU oil & gas production. We support policymakers in crafting impactful and inclusive policies that drive prosperity for Europe's businesses and citizens.
Contact
Nareg Terzian, Head of Strategy and Communications
Email: gro.pgoi@ztn
www.iogpeurope.org
