Two years after the Antwerp Declaration, leaders of key industry sectors once again warned Ursula Von der Leyen at the European Industry Summit 2026 that immediate action is still needed to restore the competitiveness of European Industry. Since 2024, the Antwerp Declaration Monitoring Framework has been monitoring tangible progress. Although there have been measures taken, 83% of the Antwerp Declaration Monitoring Framework indicators have seen no improvement over the past two years.
The Hungarian Chemical Industry Association (MAVESZ) has actively participated in preparing the Antwerp Declaration and follows the implementation progress closely and actively.
'European Union leaders must act today. The pace of chemical site closures and job losses is unprecedented. European Chemical Industry Council research shows that chemical plant closures in Europe reached around 9% of EU production capacity loss in only four years. It resulted in the loss of 20,000 direct jobs in the chemical industry and further 89,000 indirect jobs at risk across the value chain in Europe. This is not only an EU-level responsibility, but we also have to work to make the Hungarian chemical industry competitive at a national level.' – told Csaba Szabó, Director of MAVESZ.
Industry representatives attending at the meeting warned that Europe could face serious consequences if it continues to fail to take meaningful steps to improve its competitiveness. Without a strong European industry and an appropriate regulatory environment, the continent's economy will continue to weaken, factories will close, and jobs will be lost. This is why effective regulatory reforms are needed at European, national, and local levels to ensure affordable industrial energy prices, to eliminate the unsustainable weight of the cost of carbon, to provide targeted protection against unfair trade practices, and by all this correct the structural competitive disadvantages of European industry. Support for investment in infrastructure and transition is also needed.
MOL Group also signed the declaration two years ago, with Gabriel Szabó, Executive Vice President of Downstream.
'Without strong industry, there can be no growth in Europe. We support the EU's goals, but our industry continues to struggle with high energy costs and unrealistic targets. The green transition is a priority, but not at the expense of competitiveness. We need real growth drivers and an environment that will make Europe stronger.'
Source: MOL Group
