Summary
Since 2022, the EU chemical industry is grappling with a severe energy crisis, leading to substantial trade deficits and threatening its global competitiveness due to skyrocketing energy prices. This crisis jeopardises the industry’s ability to supply essential sectors like food, healthcare, construction, and transport, undermining the EU’s strategic autonomy. Cefic urges the European Commission and Member States to implement immediate pan-European measures to mitigate the impact of energy prices and sustain the industry through the winter and beyond.
Key takeaways:
- Immediate emergency measures should secure competitive energy supply, safeguard EU industry survival, and support energy savings.
- Medium to long-term measures should ensure energy security, develop EU energy infrastructures, promote renewable and low-carbon energies, and deliver the Electricity Market Design review.
- The European Commission and Member States need to adopt closely coordinated policies to prevent internal market fragmentation and distortion of intra-EU competition.