The European ceramic industry is an integral part of the European Union's economic structure, and is one of Europe's oldest industries. It covers a wide range of nine sectors including bricks and roof tiles, wall and floor tiles, clay pipes, sanitaryware, table- & ornamentalware, flower pots, refractories, expanded clay and technical ceramics. These sectors cover applications for construction, high-temperature processes, automotive, energy, environment, consumer goods, mining, defence, aerospace, medical devices and much more.

The ceramic industry is a world leader in producing value-added, uniquely designed, high-quality products manufactured by flexible and innovative companies, mainly SMEs. The ceramics industry represents an annual turnover of around €31bn, accounting for approximately 25% of global production and over 200,000 direct jobs in the EU. The EU ceramic industry is export-oriented with 30% of its production sold outside the EU market.

Further information on the European ceramic industry can be found on the website of Cerame-Unie, the European Ceramic Industry Association.