The association was created in 1981, when a French MEP felt the need to have information from all sides of the energy sector. He believed that energy decisions were too often dictated by considerations far from reality and, sometimes, dogmatic. His purpose was to create an association open to all ideas, where all sectors of industry and research could provide policymakers with diverse inputs and information.
Since the very beginning, the EEF was based on the cooperation between the European Parliament, the stakeholders active in the energy field, and the European Commission.
You can imagine how different things looked at the time, 40 years ago…
The EEF in its actual form was created in 1995. The environment was changing quickly. The European institutions were becoming more powerful, and Brussels hosted more and more companies.
With respect to energy policy, it was necessary to ensure that the documentation obtained by MEPs was debated with all stakeholders. This broadness of opinions presented would allow MEPs to form their own opinion. This could only be accomplished through the creation of a structure that would welcome all MEPs and all stakeholders involved in energy issues, regardless of their party, origin or industry, possibly to cover the whole political and technological spectra.
And here we are, 25 years later! Proudly celebrating our ongoing success and still providing key information via a one-of-a-kind platform for discussion.