The Federation of European Tank Storage Associations (FETSA) is disappointed by the European Commission's Clean Industrial Deal and Affordable Energy Packages, urging a more comprehensive and strategic approach to Europe’s industrial challenges. While the Commission's proposals reflect a worthy commitment to sustainability, they fail to adequately address the critical issues that are eroding Europe’s industrial base and competitiveness.
'The European Commission’s approach to the Clean Industrial Deal and Affordable Energy Packages risks being more of a symbolic gesture than a solution to Europe’s industrial crisis,' says Ravi Bhatiani, FETSA Executive Director. 'The Commission should be focusing on addressing the underlying structural issues—such as burdensome regulations, supply chain vulnerabilities, and a lack of affordable alternatives to current energy carriers.'
FETSA recognises the importance of reducing Europe’s emissions and ensuring a fair energy transition, but we believe that the proposals fall short in addressing the root causes of European de-industrialisation. Europe's overextended and vulnerable energy supply chains, mounting regulatory burdens, and lack of commercially viable new energy carriers are key factors that remain unaddressed in the Commission's package. Re-packaging old funding mechanisms and proposals that have not yielded significant results in the past is, in FETSA's view, a missed opportunity to enact meaningful change during an unprecedented industrial crisis.
As the energy transition accelerates, European industry will continue to face substantial challenges. Energy costs remain close to historic highs, but the Commission's focus on electrification and grid development does not provide the specific support industries need. The lack of practical and scalable green energy alternatives—particularly for energy-intensive industries—means that European companies face rising costs without clear long-term benefits. The lack of a market driven, technologically neutral approach to develop future liquid energy carriers is a mistake.
FETSA urges the European Commission to reconsider its approach and focus on practical, actionable solutions that will help industries, especially in energy-intensive sectors, to thrive during the energy transition, whilst remaining resilient and resistant to external shocks and geopolitical volatility. This includes mitigating supply chain risks with buffers of critical industrial inputs including through a fundamental reform of strategic stockpiling obligations for liquid energy carriers and proposing an Omnibus Simplification Package that concretely reduces the overall burden of compliance faced by industries.
'At a time when European industrial output is under pressure, we have to de-risk supply chains by managing energy security in a manner that mitigates the unprecedented security risks facing Europe today,' says Bhatiani. 'We cannot afford to introduce more regulatory burdens that offer limited real-world impact.'
FETSA Criticises European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal & Affordable Energy Packages
