Library

ECGA position paper on the European Commission’s RESourceEU initiative welcomes the EU’s efforts to strengthen Europe’s resilience and strategic autonomy in critical raw materials. The paper highlights the need for complementary measures to de-risk investments in mining, refining, and processing; ensure a predictable and proportionate legislative framework; and secure a genuine level playing field in global trade. ECGA underlines that both natural and synthetic graphite are vital to Europe’s green transition and calls for policies that recognise their strategic importance, enable indirect CO₂ cost compensation, and design strategic stocks reflecting graphite’s specialised grades.

ECGA position paper on energy security emphasises the need for reliable, affordable, and low-carbon electricity as a cornerstone of Europe’s clean industrial transition. Graphite producers supply critical materials for steel decarbonisation, batteries, and renewable technologies, yet face long grid connection delays and persistently high energy costs. The paper welcomes the European Commission’s Energy Security Framework and related initiatives as important steps towards industrial resilience, while calling for accelerated permitting, stable tariffs, and stronger recognition of industrial consumers as strategic partners in energy planning.

ECGA position paper on electrification highlights the essential role of graphite producers in enabling Europe’s low-carbon technologies and the urgent need to ensure competitive electricity access for energy-intensive industries. With electricity prices in Europe nearly double those in the United States, the paper calls for faster grid expansion, harmonised tariffs, and EU-backed mechanisms such as power purchase agreement guarantees. It supports the objectives of the European Grids Package and Electrification Action Plan, stressing that Europe’s clean transition and industrial competitiveness must advance together to keep graphite production, and the technologies it enables, within Europe.

ECGA position paper on the ETS State Aid Guidelines addresses the need to adapt the framework to the reality of sustained high ETS and electricity prices, which create significant indirect cost burdens for electro-intensive and trade-exposed industries. The paper highlights that synthetic graphite and graphite electrodes, both vital for Europe’s steel decarbonisation pathway, were excluded from the eligibility list, placing EU producers at a structural disadvantage. It calls for updated technical parameters, the fair inclusion of synthetic graphite, and harmonised implementation across Member States to preserve Europe’s competitiveness, industrial resilience, and strategic autonomy.

ECGA position paper on the EU steel safeguards consultation highlights the strategic interdependence between the European carbon and graphite industry and the steel sector. As a key supplier of graphite electrodes essential for electric arc furnace steelmaking, ECGA supports robust safeguard measures to address the growing challenges of global overcapacity, trade diversion, and unfair market practices. The paper calls for tighter import quotas, dynamic monitoring mechanisms, and alignment with EU decarbonisation policies to protect the competitiveness of both the steel industry and its upstream suppliers, ensuring stable and sustainable European production.

ECGA position paper on the European Grids Package outlines the need to ensure competitive, predictable, and reliable electricity access for energy-intensive industries, which are essential for Europe’s clean energy transition. The paper welcomes the Commission’s initiative but highlights persistent barriers such as high prices, grid congestion, and lengthy connection delays that undermine industrial competitiveness. ECGA calls for stronger grid planning, faster permitting, fair cost allocation, and the inclusion of industrial consumers in grid governance to support decarbonisation and maintain Europe’s strategic industrial base.

ECGA position paper on the European Bioeconomy Plan welcomes the European Commission’s efforts to develop a circular and competitive bioeconomy and highlights opportunities to integrate bio-based feedstocks into existing graphitisation infrastructure. The paper identifies key material science and market challenges - such as particle size control, purity requirements, and limited biomass supply - and proposes targeted actions to support research, scale-up, and cross-sector collaboration. ECGA calls for carbon and graphite to be fully included in bioeconomy initiatives and for funding to advance technical validation of bio-based precursors that can complement recycled and fossil-derived feedstocks in Europe’s low-carbon industrial value chains.

The latest ECGA position paper, "Carbon Fibres Should Be Excluded from Article 5 of the ELV Regulation", addresses the unjustified inclusion of carbon fibres in the proposed End-of-Life Vehicles legislation. It presents scientific evidence confirming that carbon fibres are non-hazardous, technically recyclable, and vital to strategic EU sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and wind energy. The paper warns that a regulatory ban would undermine recycling innovation, penalise durable materials, and jeopardise Europe’s competitiveness in clean technologies. Instead, it calls for supportive measures, including improved waste labelling, standardised recycling infrastructure, and recognition of carbon fibres’ value in Europe’s circular and low-carbon economy.

We are proud to present the ECGA Annual Report 2024, a comprehensive overview of the European carbon and graphite sector’s role in strengthening Europe's industrial resilience and advancing the clean transition. This year’s report focuses on six key areas, including securing critical raw materials for the EU economy, strengthening supply chain resilience, supporting the deployment of net-zero technologies, contributing to circular economy initiatives, fostering innovation, and promoting clean and sustainable production. We invite you to download and read the full report to discover how we are supporting Europe's strategic objectives while driving our industry forward.

The updated and extended ECGA "Defence Aeronautics" info sheet highlights the indispensable role of graphite in modern defence, aerospace, and space technologies. It outlines graphite’s unique properties – such as heat resistance, strength, and conductivity – that enable critical military applications from aircraft and drones to missile systems and naval vessels. The publication also draws attention to Europe’s supply chain vulnerabilities and the urgent need to scale up domestic graphite production. With the rising demand for resilient, high-performance materials, the info sheet reinforces graphite’s strategic importance for European security and industrial autonomy.

The ECGA "Graphite Recycling from Batteries" info sheet outlines the increasing relevance of graphite recycling in response to growing lithium-ion battery demand, especially in electric vehicles. It explains the key recycling processes - mechanical, hydrometallurgical, and high-temperature purification - and highlights the material challenges and opportunities for Europe's supply chain. With graphite making up to 25% of a lithium-ion battery's weight, recycling offers both environmental and strategic benefits. The info sheet emphasises the need to scale up European capacity and retain end-of-life batteries within the EU to secure a sustainable supply of this critical material.

The latest ECGA position paper, "Affordable Energy for a Competitive Graphite Industry", responds to the European Commission’s Affordable Energy Action Plan (AEAP), calling for urgent relief for energy-intensive industries. It highlights the severe challenges facing European graphite producers – from soaring electricity prices to regulatory uncertainty – and outlines key policy gaps threatening industrial competitiveness and supply chain resilience. The paper offers concrete recommendations, including EU-wide energy cost compensation, support for stable baseload power, and clearer state aid rules. As energy costs continue to rise, the publication reinforces the need for immediate action to safeguard the graphite sector’s role in Europe’s green and industrial transition.