Chemicals industry’s key role in advancing the green and digital twin transition recognised by Council conclusions

Brussels, 15 March 2021 –  Commenting on the approval of the Council conclusions on the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, Cefic Director General Marco Mensink said:

“The European chemical industry welcomes the Council’s Conclusions which recognize the chemicals industry’s critical role for advancing the green and digital twin transition in the development of a sustainable and competitive European industry.

We support the Council’s recognition of the need for greater policy coherence, as it calls on the European Commission to exploit synergies across chemicals legislation and other policies.  Now that both the Council and the European Parliament asked for a comprehensive strategy that consolidates all policies affecting chemical industry, the time is ripe to establish a forward-looking “Future Chemicals Deal” in Europe – a coherent enabling sectoral framework for the chemical industry across all areas of EU policy, from trade to innovation and product legislation. Such policy coherence is essential to attract the unprecedented levels of investments for the Green Deal needs, and to ensure these investments in innovative low–carbon and circular economy solutions can be made here in Europe.

We support the Council’s Conclusions that enforcement of the EU chemical legislation is necessary in order to achieve the objectives set out in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.  We have the strictest chemical legislation in the world here in the EU but it can only fully work to the benefit of people and environment if properly enforced.”