Euro Mines announced that 18 organisations have joined forces to establish an informal Coalition on Permitting, a cross-sector platform aimed at improving and accelerating project approval processes across the European Union.
The move comes amid growing concern that lengthy and complex permitting procedures have become a structural bottleneck for Europe’s industrial revival, delaying investments across mining, energy and manufacturing.
According to the coalition, permitting reform should be treated as a strategic enabler of Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and industrial value chains. The group is calling on EU policymakers to streamline and align permitting requirements stemming from EU legislation, particularly for cross-border projects, in order to reduce duplication and legal uncertainty.
Among the proposed measures are enforceable time limits for permit decisions, digital tracking systems, clearer accountability mechanisms and stronger resourcing of permitting authorities.
Coalition Co-Chair Gabrielle van Melkebeke said the initiative seeks to ensure Europe can deliver the projects required to meet net-zero targets while remaining an attractive destination for investment. She noted that the coalition combines diverse expertise to propose reforms that are both ambitious and practical.
Co-Chair Florian Anderhuber stressed that Europe cannot meet its industrial, defence and climate objectives without modern and predictable permitting systems. By pooling cross-sector insights, the coalition aims to provide policymakers with evidence-based recommendations on where reforms are most urgently needed.
The announcement follows mounting pressure on Europe’s industrial base. While the region initially led the early phase of the steel transition away from coal, momentum has slowed. The reports that China has taken the lead in green steel production and has surpassed its 2025 green hydrogen capacity target of 200,000 tonnes.
Financial challenges have also emerged. Swedish green steel developer is facing a funding shortfall of more than $1 billion to complete its plant under construction. Stegra is also a key investor in , which is experiencing financial strain partly linked to limited government support.
The coalition represents European and national trade associations, technology providers, project developers and supply chain partners. Its goal is to serve as a unified industry voice in support of modernising Europe’s permitting systems and restoring industrial momentum.
