EURACOAL - European Association for Coal and Lignite
About
The European Association for Coal and Lignite - EURACOAL - is the umbrella organisation of the European coal industry. EURACOAL evolved in 2002 from the European Solid Fuels’ Association - CECSO - after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community.
EURACOAL is composed of 28 Members from 18 countries amongst which national producers and importers associations, companies and research institutes from Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
By integrating Members from Candidate and Accession Countries, EURACOAL has always anticipated important political developments taking place in the European Union.
In the interests of its Members, EURACOAL’s objective is to highlight the important role of coal for security of energy supply within the enlarged EU and to contribute to an appropriate and reliable framework for coal extraction and utilisation in Europe. EURACOAL actively demonstrates the importance of coal for a balanced energy mix, for national and regional added value and for the protection of the environment.
The association’s activities are directed at the entire coal chain beginning with coal prospection, access to reserves, extraction, marketing and transport right through to its utilisation at power stations, in the steel industry as well as in other energy-intensive industries. Around 30 % of the power generated in the EU-27 is coal-based. Coal research - for example the three stage Clean Coal Concept - also plays an important role in this respect.[1]
