France Chimie, FEDERCHIMICA, FEIQUE, VNCI, APQuímica, MAVESZ and ROMCHIMICA welcome the call from 10 Member States for decisive action to support Europe’s chemical sector
A joint non-paper, presented at the EU Competitiveness Council on September 24th, recognizes both the sector’s essential contribution to Europe’s resilience and the unprecedented, systemic crisis it faces.
After months of hard work within the Critical Chemicals Alliance**, our national federations, their sector groups, and member companies join the call of these 10 Member States for swift implementation of the Alliance’s key recommendations.
The immediate priority is to preserve Europe’s critical production capacities:
- Endorse the methodology to identify critical molecules, recognize a first non-exhaustive and indicative list and commit to expanding it swiftly.
- Optimize trade defense instruments to protect the critical chemical productions in Europe.
- Provide targeted financial support to the transformation and modernization investments of chemical sites.
- Strengthen critical sites through targeted interventions.
Long-term transformation of the Chemical sector requires equally decisive action:
- Strengthen instruments to generate market pull for both sustainable and low carbon products across end-markets
- Support the development of innovative molecules derived from sustainable chemistry, from research and development through to industrial deployment
- Restore the cost-competitiveness of critical sites through energy cost relief and pragmatic sector-specific Emissions Trading System (ETS) adjustments
These measures are essential to restore competitiveness, ensure a level playing field and enable the industry to invest in its future.
We will attend the Critical Chemicals Alliance General Assembly on 8 October to endorse these recommendations and press for their implementation.
Europe has recognized the strategic importance of its chemical industry. It must now provide the conditions for it to thrive.
* Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain
** The Critical Chemicals Alliance (CCA) brings together the Commission and stakeholders to tackle the main challenges affecting the chemical sector, such as risks of closures and trade challenges, and supports the modernization and investments in critical productions.
