Review of the Tiles and Bricks Europe congress in Toulouse in 2026
The 2026 TBE Congress took place in Toulouse, France, on 18-19 June 2026, and was kindly hosted by the Fédération Française des Tuiles et Briques (FFTB).
According to the press release dated 29 June, over 70 TBE members gathered in person to discuss key updates and EU policy developments impacting the European tiles and bricks sector.
The TBE Congess officially opened on Thursday, 18 June, with the TBE Joint Working Groups Meeting, bringing together the Product Group Roofing Tiles, Product Group Masonry, and the Technical & Environmental Working Group.
In the afternoon, the TBE Executive Committee met to discuss administrative matters, strategic dossiers, and the future priorities. Later, all the participants joined a guided tour of the history of the “Pink City”.
The day concluded with Cocktail and Gala Dinner held at the Toulouse Natural History Museum, which included a private visit to the museum during the cocktail.
The second day of the Congress, Friday 6 June, began with a TBE high-level conference on the topic: “HYDETOP Project Results: Integrating Hydrogen as a Substitute for Natural Gas in the Firing of Clay Products”. Speakers included Leo Blanchard (R&D project Manager at Cleia) and Catherine Poirier (Project Manager and Manager of the ceramic R&D laboratory at CTMNC).
The speakers highlighted the technical feasibility of substituting natural gas with hydrogen in clay product firing processes, the challenges associated with burner adaptation and process optimisation, and the implications for reducing carbon emissions while maintaining product quality.
This was followed by presentations from the event sponsors: CEE, Cleia, Forgestal & Campo, and Natran.
Afterwards, the TBE General Assembly took place, which focused on the current legislative and regulatory priorities. Topics included key climate and energy files such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), as well as the construction and sustainability files, including the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) implementation process, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) implementation, and the Ceramic BREF developments.
The next TBE Congress will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2027.
