Competitiveness, energy and decarbonisation, key priorities for Vicente Bagán as President of ANFFECC

The new president aims to strengthen the sector’s international leadership amid rising cost pressures and regulatory transformation. The frits and glazes industry faces a decisive phase shaped by energy challenges, decarbonisation and global competition. The association calls for conditions that enable sustained industrial investment in Europe.

Castellón, 29 April 2026. – ANFFECC today welcomed the media at its headquarters to mark the beginning of Vicente Bagán’s term as the new President of the Spanish Association of Frit, Glaze and Ceramic Colour Manufacturers.

During the meeting, Bagán outlined the main priorities for this new stage, set against an increasingly demanding environment for industry, characterised by rising energy and raw material costs, evolving international demand and a complex and changing European regulatory framework.

The new president emphasised that one of the key objectives of his mandate will be to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness in an increasingly challenging global context: “I take on this responsibility at a crucial moment for our industry, with the commitment to work alongside companies to enhance their competitiveness and ensure they can continue operating in Spain and Europe under the right conditions.”

In this regard, he highlighted the need for an environment that allows companies to plan and invest with confidence: “Industry needs predictability, regulatory stability and energy conditions that enable us to remain competitive internationally.”

Bagán also stressed the impact of energy costs and the European regulatory framework on industrial activity, particularly in energy-intensive sectors such as frits and glazes: “We share decarbonisation objectives, but it is essential that the transition is approached realistically and aligned with the availability of viable technologies and affordable costs for companies.”

He further warned that maintaining the balance between sustainability and competitiveness will be critical in the coming years: “If the right conditions are not in place, there is a risk of losing industrial investment and production relocation, something that is already happening in our industry.”

The ANFFECC president underlined that the sector starts from a position of global leadership built on innovation, internationalisation, quality and customer service—key strengths that will remain essential going forward.

“Our sector is a global benchmark thanks to continuous efforts in R&D&i, and this is an asset we must continue to strengthen to maintain our position in international markets,” he stated.

In this context, he pointed to the importance of continuing to promote projects linked to the energy transition and emissions reduction, while stressing the need for public support on multiple fronts:“Industry is already advancing in technological solutions, but it needs enabling conditions to scale them up at industrial level, both in terms of infrastructure, regulatory framework and financing.”

Bagán also highlighted ANFFECC’s role as the sector’s representative before local, regional, national and international institutions: “Maintaining ongoing dialogue with institutions is essential to convey the reality of our industry and help ensure that public policies take into account the needs of the productive sector.”

In this regard, he stressed the importance of coordination with other business organisations and stakeholders within the ceramic cluster to defend common interests.

The new president concluded by reaffirming his commitment to supporting companies in this new scenario: “We want to remain a leading sector, generating employment and industrial value. To achieve this, we need a stable framework that allows us to compete, innovate and continue investing to keep production in Europe.”