European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC)

Standing Strong for Europe's Chemical Industry

Rising tariffs and regulatory changes challenge the European chemical industry, highlighting the need for resilient regional supply networks and strategic collaboration among CEFIC members.

CEFIC President Calls for EU Action on Chemicals Rescue Plan

Europe's chemical industry is in crisis, warns the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) President Ilham Kadri, urging EU leaders to act on a 10-point rescue plan to prevent further shutdowns and loss of investments.

European Chemical Industry Becoming Extinct

Ahead of the unveiling of the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal, Ineos Chairman and CEO, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, authored an open letter to emphasize the importance of supportive political decisions and measures for the European industry. Releasing the open letter, Ineos stated: “A year on from the signing of ‘The Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal’ we have not seen the action necessary to stem the decline of European industry. Ineos has continued to invest in Europe; however, it is now an exception in a landscape of deindustrialization and closures.” Please read the complete open letter below:

CEFIC Publishes 2024 Facts and Figures Report

CEFIC , the European Chemical Industry Council, has published its 2024 Facts & Figures report, which reinforces the need to take bold and urgent action to secure Europe’s industrial future, not only to implement the Green Deal but also to prevent further de-industrialization in Europe.

EU Chemical Industry Needs Bold Action

CEFIC recently launched its competitiveness study emphasizing the severity of the situation for the EU chemicals industry; over 11 million tons of capacity have already been announced to be closed for 2023-2024, affecting 21 major sites.

CEFIC Re-elects Ilham Kadri as President

Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo, has been re-elected as president of CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, for a two-year term, effective immediately.

Trying Times and a Wave of Light

In February, industry leaders from 20 industrial sectors presented the ‘Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal’. The declaration emphasizes industry's dedication to Europe's transformation and outlines urgent needs to enhance Europe's competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability amid challenging economic circumstances.

Syensqo CEO Ilham Kadri Becomes CEFIC President

Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo, takes on the role as president of the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), succeeding Martin Brudermueller, effective today.

CEFIC Joins EU’s Critical Medicines Alliance to Strengthen API Supply

The European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), through its subgroup European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG), joined the Critical Medicines Alliance, an initiative of the European Commission to strengthen the supply of critical medicines in Europe.

EU Chemical Industry Confidence Shows Upward Trend

In its Chemical Trends Report for March, CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, states that Europe has been more impacted by the energy crisis than other regions and structural issues need to be addressed.

Industry Leaders Call for Urgent Actions to Boost European Competitiveness

Today, 73 industry leaders from 20 industrial sectors handed over "The Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal" to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The declaration emphasizes industry's dedication to Europe's transformation and outlines urgent needs to enhance Europe's competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability amid challenging economic circumstances.

CEFIC Calls for a Strengthened EU Single Market

CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, together with 25 other regional industry associations, has issued a joint statement calling on the European Union (EU) to realize the true potential of the single market.

CEFIC Anounces EU Responsible Care Award Winners

The European Chemical Industry Council, CEFIC, announced 26 companies and national associations as the key initiatives featured in the 2023 European Responsible Care Awards Gallery.

CEFIC Calls for “EU Industrial Deal” on Clean Energy Supply

CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, together with other associations representing Europe’s clean technology industries and their key material suppliers, sent a joint letter to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen ahead of last week’s European Council summit. They jointly expressed their support of von der Leyen's commitment that "the future of our clean tech industry must be made in Europe.”

EU Chemical Production on the Downward Slope

CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, expects the EU27 chemical production to decline by about 8% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with no imminent recovery of chemical demand in Europe.

CEFIC Concerned by Revision of EU CLP Regulation

On December 19, 2022, the European Commission proposed a revised regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) of chemicals and introduced new hazard classes for endocrine disruptors, as well as for chemicals that do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in living organisms, or risk entering and spreading across the water cycle, including drinking water.

CEFIC Chemicals Trends Report November 2022

Following months of deteriorations, the latest global manufacturing flash PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) reading has, for the first time since mid-2020, crossed the threshold of 50. This signals a contraction in manufacturing, CEFIC says in their Chemicals Trends Report (CTR) for November 2022.

Sharon McGuiness new ECHA Chief Executive

Sharon McGuinness has been appointed to a five-year term as the new executive director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the body that administrates the REACH chemicals legislation.

EU Unveils “Fit for 55” Climate Proposals

Building on the Green Deal it rolled out at the end of 2019 and the European Climate Law that goes into effect this month, the European Commission on Jul. 14, concretized its long anticipated targets toward putting the EU at the forefront of political blocs dealing with climate change.

On the Way to Climate Neutrality

The EU Commission’s ambitious plan for a European Green Deal, launched shortly before the pandemic struck in early 2020, aims to make the continent the world’s first climate-neutral region by 2050. The goals spelled out in January last year call for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% up to 2030, compared with 1990 levels.

CEFIC Urges Strong EU Industrial Policy

Following a decline of 2% in 2020, European chemical production is forecast to pick up by 3% in 2021, before growth rates taper off slightly in 2022, but output in that year should still land 2% higher against 2021.

EU Chemicals Output Impacted by Pandemic

Despite “encouraging” signs of a recovery of chemical production in May from the coronavirus-related “historic slump” in March and April, progress is now slowing, the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) said in its report on the first nine months of 2020.

Martin Brudermüller Is new CEFIC President

Martin Brudermüller, CEO of BASF, has been elected president of the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) for a two-year term. In the rotating position, the 59-year-old German national, a native of Stuttgart, succeeds Daniele Ferrari, CEO of Versalis, who has held the position since October 2018.

CEFIC: EU Chemical Output Shows Small Signs of Recovery

According to its latest Chemical Quarterly Report, which CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, published on Sept. 10, chemical output in the EU27 dropped by 5.2% from January to June 2020 compared to the previous year’s level (January to June 2019), following the Covid-19 outbreak in Europe.

CEFIC Urges Recovery Plan for Green and Digital Future

As the European Council meets tomorrow, July 17, in Brussels for its first in-person session since the coronavirus forced business, offices and governments into virtual reality, along with budgetary matters the heads of the 27-member states will debate a European Recovery Plan.

High Level Chemical Logistics

As an independent system of uniform third party assessments, SQAS — Safety and Quality Assessment System —was initiated to evaluate the performance of logistics service providers and chemical distributors.

CEFIC Appoints Frans Stokman as Executive Director of Petrochemicals Europe

The European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) has appointed Frans Stokman as new Executive Director of its industry sector Petrochemicals Europe, effective immediately.

CEFIC Encouraged by REACH Data Action Plan

CEFIC Recommends Logistics Measures During Covid-19

Future-Relationship Negotiations between the EU and the UK

CEFIC Analysis of the EU’s 2019 RAPEX Data

CEFIC’s Mid-Century Vision

CEFIC Announces Winners of 2019 European Responsible Care Awards

CEFIC Signs Circular Plastics Alliance Declaration

CEFIC Signs up 59 Members for Action Plan