• After EU Enlargement in 2004 and 2007, the economic importance of coal further increased. The EU includes Member States where indigenous coal plays a leading role on the domestic energy market.
• In 2014, 26% of electricity generation in the EU-28 was coal-based. In a number of EU Member States, coal accounts for more than 50% of total power generation.
• Coal – whether domestic or imported – will continue to make a vital contribution to the security of energy supply, to a diversified energy mix and a sustainable economic development in the EU.
• An isolated EU climate policy would result in a greater share of gas in the fuel mix for power generation: geopolitical and price risks would grow, especially in the Member States of Central and South East Europe.
• Coal contributes to the creation of employment, added value and wealth. In 2015, the coal industry provided some 185,000 jobs in the EU-28.
• EURACOAL supports environmental protection. However, climate protection policies should be designed in a way to enhance investments in the continuous modernisation of coal-fired power plants.
• EURACOAL’s 3-step clean coal strategy sees the replacement and modernisation of older coal-fired power plants to improve efficiency and reduce emissions; investment in R&D for the next generation of high-efficiency, flexible coal-fired power plants; and the deployment of carbon capture and storage – one of the most competitive low-carbon options for electricity generation.
• The European coal industry is ready to participate constructively in drawing up and implementing this 3-step clean coal strategy.
• As the umbrella organisation of the European coal industry, EURACOAL sees itself as “the voice of coal in Europe” and therefore as a partner of policy makers and public authorities for all coal-related issues.