Europe’s chemical industry is under pressure from every side: fierce global competition for investment and production, geopolitical tension, uncertain access to energy and raw materials, and operating costs well above those of its main competitors. Because chemistry feeds almost every strategic value chain, from automotive and construction to pharmaceuticals, energy and defence, what happens to this sector will shape the future of European industry as a whole.
The second edition of the European Chemical Industry Forum (ECIF) brings together the Polish government, the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament, industry leaders, European associations and industrial regions for a day of high-level debate on one question: how can Europe keep a strong industrial base for the decades ahead?
ECRN at ECIF 2026
The regional perspective will be strongly represented in Warsaw. ECRN President Jaume Baró Torres will take part in the first debate, Chemistry Means Future – Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and industrial sovereignty, alongside the Chair of the European Parliament’s ITRE Committee, the Polish government, the European Commission, ORLEN and the OECD. The debate will be moderated by ECRN Executive Director Folco Ciulli.
In the afternoon, Felipe Carrasco Torres, Regional Secretary for Industry, Trade and Consumer Affairs of the Generalitat Valenciana, will join the third debate, Powering Europe’s Industrial Future – Can the transition deliver competitiveness?, focusing on affordable energy, energy security and the technologies needed to decarbonise energy-intensive industries.
For ECRN, the Forum is an opportunity to bring the voice of Europe’s chemical regions, where plants, jobs and investment decisions actually land, into a debate that too often stays at national and EU level.
Programme at a glance
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Registration and welcome coffee 10:00
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Opening session 11:00
Donald Tusk*, Prime Minister of Poland · Maroš Šefčovič*, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security · Wopke Hoekstra*, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth · Andrzej Domański, Polish Minister of Finance and Economy · Bertrand L’Huillier*, Head of Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné · Tomasz Zieliński, President, PIPC
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Debate 1: Chemistry Means Future – competitiveness, resilience and industrial sovereignty 11:45
Borys Budka, MEP, Chair of the ITRE Committee · Michał Baranowski, Undersecretary of State, Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology · Bertrand L'Huillier, European Commission · Jaume Baró Torres, President, ECRN · Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO, ORLEN · Antoine Dechezlepretre, Senior Economist, OECD · Moderator: Folco Ciulli, Executive Director, ECRN
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Networking lunch 13:00
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Debate 2: A New Deal for European Industry – removing barriers, unlocking investment, strengthening production 13:45
Adam Jarubas, MEP, Chair of the SANT Committee · Anita Sowińska, Undersecretary of State, Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment · Valère Moutarlier, Deputy Director-General, DG GROW, European Commission · Peter Liese, MEP · Remigiusz Paszkiewicz, President, KGHM Polska Miedź · Katarzyna Byczkowska, Managing Director, BASF Polska
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Special session: Strategic infrastructure and supply chain security 14:55
Wojciech Wrochna, Secretary of State, Polish Ministry of Energy · Daniel Świętochowski, President, PERN
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Debate 3: Powering Europe’s Industrial Future – can the transition deliver competitiveness? 15:15
Miłosz Motyka, Polish Minister of Energy · Felipe Carrasco Torres, Regional Secretary for Industry, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Generalitat Valenciana · Lukasz Kolinski, Director, DG ENER, European Commission · Araceli Fernández Pales, Head of Energy Technology Innovation, IEA · Marcin Wasilewski, Vice-President, ORLEN · Nicolai Romanowski, Senior Manager Energy, Cefic
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Wrap-up, reception and networking 16:20
* To be confirmed. The programme is subject to change.
Participation is free of charge, but places are limited. Registration is handled by PIPC and does not automatically guarantee a seat: registered participants will be contacted a few days before the event to confirm their attendance.
