European Association for Coal and Lignite (EURACOAL)

The European Association for Coal and Lignite - EURACOAL - is the umbrella organisation of the European coal industry. EURACOAL evolved in 2002 from the European Solid Fuels’ Association - CECSO - after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community.

EURACOAL is composed of 28 Members from 18 countries amongst which national producers and importers associations, companies and research institutes from Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

In the interests of its Members, EURACOAL’s objective is to highlight the important role of coal for security of energy supply within the enlarged EU and to contribute to an appropriate and reliable framework for coal extraction and utilisation in Europe. EURACOAL actively demonstrates the importance of coal for a balanced energy mix, for national and regional added value and for the protection of the environment.

The association’s activities are directed at the entire coal chain beginning with coal prospection, access to reserves, extraction, marketing and transport right through to its utilisation at power stations, in the steel industry as well as in other energy-intensive industries. Around 30 % of the power generated in the EU-27 is coal-based. Coal research - for example the three stage Clean Coal Concept – also plays an important role in this respect.

Objectives

The most important objective of EURACOAL is to highlight, in the interests of its Members, the importance of coal’s contribution to a secure, competitive and sustainable energy supply for Europe and to attain an acceptable European regulatory framework.

The contributions from EURACOAL Members to energy and environmental policy issues at national level are therefore as important as the collective representation of their interests in Brussels. EURACOAL is therefore not only a platform for voicing the collective interests of its

Members, but it is also a forum for information exchange through which EURACOAL Members may discuss national concerns of the coal industry.

The Brussels’ office of EURACOAL works closely with the European Commission and the European Parliament.  Since Member States are responsible for their national energy policy and because of their strong role in the EU legislation process, EURACOAL also puts an accent on national representation in the individual Member States. EURACOAL Members are therefore striving to discuss European coal-related issues with national Ministers, in view of debates held within the Council of Ministers.

EURACOAL’s activities are directed towards:

• Continuously informing its Members from Brussels about all coal-relevant  EU activities
• Providing a platform for its Members to have discussions and exchanges of opinion
• Voicing the interests of its Members on energy and environment policy issues at European level
• Creating adequate political and regulatory conditions for the coal industry, especially via the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council
• Participating in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue and the Economic and Social Committee
• Exchanging information and maintaining professional working relations with the European Commission and the European Parliament
• Cooperating with the politically relevant associations and interest groups in order to improve the image of coal.

Source: Extracted from the EURACOAL web page.