Every two years, the French Gas Association (AFG) organizes the Gas Congress.

The professional union for gas in France

Founded on 5 March 1874, the Association Française du Gaz is one of the oldest gas associations in the world. It has experienced a number of changes over the years, the latest of which is worth mentioning here. In 2001, the Association changed its statutes, transforming itself from the Association Technique de l’Industrie du Gaz en France (ATG) into today’s Association Française du Gaz (AFG). This change illustrates its willingness to make its mark in a changing French gas industry. It reorganised itself, opened its board of directors and committees to new entrants such as e-on Ruhrgas and Distrigaz, and added a range of political activities to its technical activities. So AFG has equipped itself with the means to play a full role on behalf of its members for the benefit of a developing industry.

Union activities

To promote
AFG looks for all appropriate ways to encourage the development of the gas industry in France, including the following sectors: supply, storage, transmission, LNG, distribution, construction and operation of plant and networks, manufacture of equipment and hardware.
It works in partnership to offer solutions to any issues affecting the gas industry, be they political, technical, economic, legal, or regulatory.

To represent
At the national level, AFG works to represent its members in dealings with the authorities on issues concerning the gas industry in France and in Europe, particularly on challenges to do with energy demand, the environmental situation, technical constraints and safety measures. Significantly, it is a member of the Conseil supérieur de l’énergie (CSE – the higher council for energy), and is involved in a number of workgroups set up by the central administration or the energy regulation commission.
Internationally, it represents the French gas industry within the International Gas Union (IGU), it is a member of Eurogas and represents the interests of French gas companies for Marcogaz and EASEE-gas.
It has been chosen to preside over the IGU from 2012 to 2015 and to organise the 2015 world congress in Paris.

Service activities

To maximise potential
AFG makes a contribution to thinking about the gas industry, be it strategic, technical or regulatory.
It is involved in the process of drafting legislation and regulations, standards and certifications, through a number of joint ventures, both with public authorities (ministries, law-makers, regional environment centres, European institutions) and with standardisation and certification bodies (Afnor, CEN, ISO).

To develop
It provides useful services expected by the gas industry in France for the development of gas technologies both in France and abroad. It lends its expertise to the fields of training, standards and certification.

Read more: visit the website www.afgaz.fr