Antwerp, 11 February 2026 — Ahead of the European Council meeting in Alden Biesen, the Antwerp Declaration Community – representing more than 1,300 companies, associations and trade unions across Europe – called on EU Heads of State and Government to take urgent and bold action to restore Europe’s industrial competitiveness, safeguard high-quality jobs for European workers, and turn the Clean Industrial Deal into outcomes felt on factory floors in 2026.
Eurogypsum, the association representing Europe’s gypsum supply and plaster product manufacturing industries, participated at the European Industry Summit. The event brought together over 500 business leaders, 30 factory workers, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, under the auspices of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker Senior, and EU leaders including Executive Vice Presidents Teresa Ribera and Stéphane Séjourné, and Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra underscoring the political urgency of Europe’s industrial crisis.
The European gypsum sector, which operates more than 200 quarries and 146 factories and employs 19,000 people, is a key segment of the construction sector. It supplies every year 1.7 billion m² of plasterboard and above 8 million tonnes of plaster and other gypsum products indispensable for Europe’s housing supply and building renovation objectives.
Deeply anchored in Europe’s landscapes and heritage, enabling affordable, sustainable and modern construction, the gypsum supply and plaster product manufacturing industry supports the key messages of the European Industrial Summit especially regarding
Therefore, active engagement from the EU and its Member States is indispensable to set the regulatory, planning and investment conditions. Eurogypsum advocates for streamlined “Made in Europe” public procurement criteria that reward resilience, quality, and sustainability, while emphasising long-term performance and life-cycle value of the built environment. Strengthening domestic value chains, alongside innovations like offsite construction, is key to enable the renovation and delivery of new housing.
Tristan Suffys, Secretary General of Eurogypsum, said:
“Europe’s industrial strength is the driving force of our clean future. To lead the global climate transition, we must empower the industries that make it possible. Strengthening the resilience of our industries and our strategic autonomy in key areas such as the supply of domestic raw materials for construction not only enables Europe’s economic independence, but also our ability to deliver affordable and sustainable housing, as well as mitigate climate change.”
The Community calls on EU leaders to ensure that the Alden Biesen meeting becomes the moment when Europe commits to bold, coordinated measures that restore industrial competitiveness, and secure high-quality jobs for future generations with visible results in 2026.
Read the Antwerp Call to Action